The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) propose to implement the Franks Tract Project to improve water quality and fisheries conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta). The project would consist of constructing and operating one or more flow control facilities in the Franks Tract area that would allow better management of hydrodynamic conditions to improve salinity levels and protect at-risk fish species in the central and south Delta.

DWR and Reclamation have conducted studies to evaluate the feasibility of modifying the hydrodynamic conditions near Franks Tract to improve Delta water quality and enhance the aquatic ecosystem.  The results of these studies have indicated that modifying the hydrodynamic conditions near Franks Tract may substantially reduce salinity in the Delta, and protect fishery resources, including the sharply declining populations of delta smelt, a federally and state listed species that is endemic to the Delta. 

The following are objectives for the proposed Franks Tract project:

• reduce ocean salinity intrusion into the central and south Delta;

• enhance conditions for Delta fisheries, particularly delta and longfin smelt, by modifying hydrodynamic conditions and reduce fish movement into the central and south Delta, where survival is decreased;

• improve operational flexibility by:

• protecting fishery resources which will likely reduce curtailments in project operations,
• reducing ocean salinity intrusion due to future climate change, and catastrophic events such as levee failures,
• protecting water quality during expanded closures of the Delta Cross Channel;

• develop water quality and fishery protection measures consistent with long-term planning efforts.

The EIR/EIS for the project has been initiated. The key milestones are:

Contact:

Ajay Goyal, Project Manager
Department of Water Resources
1416 Ninth Street, Room 252-18
Sacramento, CA 95814
e-mail: agoyal@water.ca.gov
Telephone: (916) 651-9823
FAX: (916) 653-9574

 

Electronic copies of the following reports are available for viewing:

FRANKS TRACT PROJECT

Title:Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Modeling for Franks Tract Project Alternatives, Technical Memorandum, DWR (PDF Download, 3.31MB)
Date: October, 2007

Title:Long Term Water Quality Modeling for Franks Tract Project, Technical Memorandum, DWR (PDF Download, 140KB)
Date: October, 2007

Title: Value Engineering Study Report - Franks Tract Pilot Project (PDF Download, 1.55MB)
Date: June, 2007

Title: Salinity Control Gate Concept Study – Progress Report (PDF Download, 1MB) Date: January 31, 2006
Principal Investigator: John DeGeorge, Resource Management Associates, Inc.
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: $ 202,530 (Includes items 6, 11 and 12)

Title: Salinity Control Gate Concept Study – Cost Analysis Results (PDF Download, 3MB)
Date: January 25, 2006
Principal Investigator: Rick Rhoads, Moffatt & Nichol Engineers
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 11

Title: Flooded Islands – Pilot Project Study, Alternatives Modeling Report (PDF Download, 4MB)
Date: January 9, 2006
Principal Investigator: Rick Rhoads, Moffatt & Nichol Engineers
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 8

FLOODED ISLAND PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY

Title: Technical Memorandum #3: Analysis of an Adaptive Management Framework to the Flooded Island Pre-Feasibility Study (PDF Download, 196KB)
Date: April 24, 2006
Principal Investigator:John Cain, Natural Heritage Institute
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 1

Title:Addendum to the Flooded Island Pre-Feasibility Study, Department of Water Resources   (PDF Download, 84KB)
Date: February 15, 2006
Principal Investigator: Don Kurosaka, DWR

Title: Flooded Island Pre-Feasibility Study Report, Department of Water Resources, Submitted to California Bay-Delta Authority  (PDF Download, 22MB)
Date: June 30, 2005
Principal Investigator: Debra Bishop, EDAW
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: $ 328,731 (Includes items 2, 4 and 6)

Title:Flooded Islands – Pre-Feasibility Study, Resource Management Associates, Inc. Delta Model Calibration Report, Department of Water Resources, Submitted to California Bay-Delta Authority   (PDF Download, 10MB)
Date: June 30, 2005
Principal Investigator: John DeGeorge, Resource Management Associates, Inc.
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: $ 202,714 (Includes items 6, 8, 9 and 10)

Title:Flooded Islands – Pre-Feasibility Study, Alternatives Modeling Report, Department of Water Resources, Submitted to California Bay-Delta Authority  (PDF Download, 52MB)
Date: June 30, 2005
Principal Investigator: John DeGeorge, Resource Management Associates, Inc.
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 8

Title: Flooded Islands Conceptual Alternatives Report, Department of Water Resources, Submitted to California Bay-Delta Authority  (PDF Download, 3MB)
Date: May 1, 2005
Principal Investigator:John Cain, Natural Heritage Institute
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 1

Title: Flooded Island Pre-Feasibility Baseline Report, Department of Water Resources, Submitted to California Bay-Delta Authority (PDF Download, 32MB)
Date: February, 2005
Principal Investigator: Debra Bishop, EDAW
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 6

Title: Technical Memorandum #2: Problem and Objectives Statement (PDF Download, 27KB)
Date: February 23, 2005
Principal Investigator: Debra Bishop, EDAW; Don Kurosaka and Dan Fua of DWR; Flooded Islands Project Team
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: See item # 6

Title: Technical Memorandum #1: Public Outreach, Science Advisory Group, and Integration Team Process (PDF Download, 94KB)
Date: January 15, 2005
Principal Investigator: John Cain, Natural Heritage Institute
Fund Source: California Bay-Delta Authority Grant
Funds Spent: $ 154,609 (Includes items 1,3,5, and 6)