Glossary
Click each letter to view terms related to this project
A
AF — acre-foot
The amount of water that would cover one acre in one foot of water; approximately 326,000 gallons.
B
Banks — Harvey O. Banks Pumping
A facility that diverts water from the Delta into the California Aqueduct for delivery.
BiOps — biological opinion
Document that states the opinion as to whether or not the federal action is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.
C
CALFED — California Bay-Delta Authority
A cooperative effort of multiple state and federal agencies administered under the California Resources Agency that addresses water quality, reliability and supply in the Delta.
CDFW — California Department of Fish and Wildlife
State agency that manages and protects California’s fish, wildlife, plant and native habitats.
CEQA — California Environmental Quality Act
A California state law that requires state and local agencies to analyze and disclose anticipated environmental impacts of proposed projects.
CER (see also EPR) — Conceptual Engineering Report
A document that provides technical and implementation analysis on the engineering details of a proposed project.
CESA — California Endangered Species Act
A California environmental law that conserves and protects plant and animal species at risk of extinction.
CFS — cubic feet per second
A rate of the flow, in streams and rivers, for example. It is equal to a volume of water one foot high and one foot wide flowing a distance of one foot in one second.
Component facility
In a water conveyance system, a part of the conveyance process that requires a physical structure or facility.
CVP — Central Valley Project
A federal power and water management project that conveys water from northern California to the Central Valley region.
D
DCA — Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority
A joint powers agency formed in May 2018 via a joint powers agreement between participating public water agencies for the purpose of design and construction of the Delta Conveyance Program.
DCFA — Delta Conveyance Finance Authority
An agency formed by a joint powers agreement that secures funding and oversees finances for the design and construction of the Delta Conveyance Program.
DEIR — Draft Environmental Impact Report
A draft of the CEQA-required EIR that is released for public review and comment.
Delta
The meeting point of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers at the western edge of the Central Valley in northern California.
Delta exports
Water exported from the Bay Delta through the North Bay Aqueduct, Contra Costa Canal, the CVP at Jones pumping plant or the SWP at Banks pumping plant.
Delta imports
The total streamflow entering the Bay Delta from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, Yolo Bypass and eastside streams.
Delta outflow
The net amount of water (not including tidal flows) at a given time flowing out of the Delta toward the San Francisco Bay. The Delta outflow equals Delta inflow minus the water used within the Delta and exported from the Delta.
Diversion
The action of taking water out of a river system or changing the flow of water in a system for use in another location.
E
EIR/EIS — Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement
The legal documents required by CEQA and NEPA that provide a technical analysis of environmental impacts of a proposed project.
Electrical building
Houses electrical switchgear and drives needed to operate pumps.
Emergency generator building
Provides backup power for all life-safety systems during main electrical supply outages.
EPR (see also CER) — Engineering Project Report
A document that provides technical and implementation analysis on the engineering details of a proposed project.
ESA — Endangered Species Act (federal)
Provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found.
F
FEIR — Final Environmental Impact Report
A final version of the EIR that includes and addresses public comments received in response to the DEIR.
FFTT — Fish Facilities Technical Team
A collaborative group convened at the direction of regulatory agencies to study and develop intake design concepts and potential facility locations of a proposed conveyance project.
Fish screen
Barrier on the front face of a water intake facility to prevent fish and debris from being drawn into the intake.
Forebay
A human-made reservoir in front of a larger body of water.
H
Heat map
A graphical representation of data where the individual values contained in a matrix are represented as colors.
I
IF — intermediate forebay/intermediate pumping plant forebay
A reservoir between the starting and ending points of a water conveyance system that can help balance controls of upstream intakes and downstream pumping plant facilities.
Inflow
Water that flows into a body of water. The amount of water entering a reservoir expressed in acre-feet per day or cubic feet per second.
Intake
Any structure through which water can be drawn into a waterway. Any structure in a reservoir, dam or river through which water can be discharged.
ITR — independent technical review
An interdisciplinary team with the ability to review the technical aspects (planning, environmental, engineering, design, construction and real estate) of the product.
J
JEPA — joint exercise of powers agreement
An agreement that authorizes two or more public agencies to jointly exercise a common power.
Jones — C.W. “Bill” Jones Pumping Plant
A facility that diverts water from the Delta into the Delta-Mendota Canal for delivery through the Central Valley Water Project.
JPA – Joint Powers Agreement
A formal, legal agreement between two or more public agencies that share a common power and want to jointly implement programs, build facilities, or deliver services. The DCA is JPA formed by several public water agencies and formally approved a cooperative arrangement and will sunset at the completion of the Delta Conveyance Project.
L
Lead agency
The agency that, according to CEQA, is responsible for approving a project that may have a significant impact upon the environment.
M
Mechanical storage building
Houses maintenance parts and equipment, includes workshop area.
Mitigation
An action taken to reduce or avoid a significant impact resulting from a proposed project.
MND — mitigated negative declaration
A document that states upon completion of an initial study that there is no substantial evidence that a proposed project may have a significant effect on the environment provided specified mitigation measures are implemented.
N
NCCF — North Clifton Court Forebay
An intake reservoir for the State Water Project’s Banks pumping plant.
ND — negative declaration
A document that states upon completion of an initial study that there is no substantial evidence that a proposed project may have a significant effect on the environment.
NEPA — National Environmental Policy Act
A federal law that requires federal agencies to analyze and disclose anticipated environmental impacts on proposed projects.
NHPA — National Historic Preservation Act
Legislation intended to preserve historical and archaeological sites in the United States.
NMFS — National Marine Fisheries Service
Federal agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation's ocean resources and their habitat.
NOA — notice of availability
A legally required formal announcement that a draft EIR is available for viewing.
NOC — notice of completion
A brief notice released by a lead agency as soon as it has prepared a draft EIR.
NOD — notice of determination
A brief notice filed by a public agency after it approves or determines to carry out a project subject to the requirements of CEQA.
NOP — notice of preparation
A legally required document stating that an EIR will be prepared for a particular project.
NPDES — National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
A provision of the Clean Water Act that prohibits discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States unless a special permit is issued by the EPA, a state or a tribal government.
NTP — notice to proceed
A notice issued to contractors that work can begin on a project.
P
PP — Pumping plant
Facilities that consist of pumps and equipment for pumping water from one place to another.
PRA — Public Records Act
A California state law that requires that records of public agencies be made accessible to the public upon request, unless otherwise exempted by law.
Pump station building
Houses all main pumping equipment.
Pumping plant features
Tunnel shaft—connects water from tunnel into the wet well Wet well—large water basin where the suction bells of the pumps are located Pump station building—houses all main pumping equipment Electrical building—houses electrical switchgear and drives needed to operate pumps Mechanical storage building—houses maintenance parts and equipment, includes workshop area Emergency generator building—provides backup power for all life-safety systems during main electrical supply outages
R
Reclamation — United States Bureau of Reclamation
A federal agency under the Department of Interior responsible for resource management, oversight and operation of federal water diversion, delivery and storage projects throughout the United States.
Refugia
Protected fish resting areas along the face of an intake structure.
Responsible agency
Under CEQA, a public agency with some discretionary authority over a project or a portion of it, but which has not been designated the lead agency.
ROD — record of decision
A statement that includes the lead agency’s decision regarding a project and documents mitigations.
ROW — right of way
A legal right of passage over a defined area of real property. In transit usage, right of way refers to the corridor along a roadway or track alignment that is controlled by a transit or transportation agency/authority.
RTM — reusable tunnel material
The soils excavated from tunnels and shafts construction projects that can be reused for other purposes such as constructing basins.
S
Scoping
The period of the CEQA process during which agencies and the public provide input on the impact analyses that should be included in the EIR.
Siting drivers
General considerations that will determine where facility components could be located.
SWC — State Water Contractors
A collection of northern and southern California public water agencies that purchase water from the California State Water Project. Some SWC agencies formed the DCA to design and construct the Delta conveyance program.
SWP — State Water Project
A water storage and delivery system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants and pumping plants extending more than 700 miles.
SWRCB — State Water Resources Control Board
State water board with regulatory responsibility for protecting the water quality of California’s lakes, bays, estuaries, rivers, streams and coastline.
T
Table A Water
Maximum amount of water that is allocated and delivered under SWP water supply contracts.
TBM — tunnel boring machine
The machine used to excavate an underground tunnel.
Trustee agency
Under CEQA, a state agency having jurisdiction by law over natural resources that are held in trust for the people of California, and which may be affected by a project.
Tunnel shaft
Connects water from the tunnel into the wet well.
U
USACE — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Federal agency that oversees dams, canals and flood protection in the United States as well as a wide range of public works throughout the world.
USFWS — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal agency dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife and natural habitats.
W
water conveyance
The act of transporting water from one place to another.
water right
A legal entitlement, granted as a permit or license from the California State Water Resources Control Board, authorizing water to be diverted from a specified source and put to a beneficial, nonwasteful use.
wet well
Large water basin where the suction bells of the pumps are located.