(a) The board shall establish an effective system of Delta watershed diversion data collection and public reporting by December 31, 2010.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish an accelerated process to determine instream flow needs of the Delta for the purposes of facilitating the planning decisions that are required to achieve the objectives of the Delta Plan.

(c) (1) For the purpose of informing planning decisions for the Delta Plan and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the board shall, pursuant to its public trust obligations, develop new flow criteria for the Delta ecosystem necessary to protect public trust resources. In carrying out this section, the board shall review existing water quality objectives and use the best available scientific information. The flow criteria for the Delta ecosystem shall include the volume, quality, and timing of water necessary for the Delta ecosystem under different conditions. The flow criteria shall be developed in a public process by the board within nine months of the enactment of this division. The public process shall be in the form of an informational proceeding conducted pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 649) of Chapter 1.5 of Division 3 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations, and shall provide an opportunity for all interested persons to participate. The flow criteria shall not be considered predecisional with regard to any subsequent board consideration of a permit, including any permit in connection with a final BDCP.

(2) Any order approving a change in the point of diversion of the State Water Project or the federal Central Valley Project from the southern Delta to a point on the Sacramento River shall include appropriate Delta flow criteria and shall be informed by the analysis conducted pursuant to this section. The flow criteria shall be subject to modification over time based on a science-based adaptive management program that integrates scientific and monitoring results, including the contribution of habitat and other conservation measures, into ongoing Delta water management.

(3) Nothing in this section amends or otherwise affects the application of the board’s authority under Part 2 (commencing with Section 1200) of Division 2 to include terms and conditions in permits that in its judgment will best develop, conserve, and utilize in the public interest the water sought to be appropriated.

(d) The board shall enter into an agreement with the State Water Project contractors and the federal Central Valley Project contractors, who rely on water exported from the Sacramento River watershed, or a joint powers authority comprised of those contractors, for reimbursement of the costs of the analysis conducted pursuant to this section.

(e) The board shall submit its flow criteria determinations pursuant to this section to the council for its information within 30 days of completing the determinations.

(Added by Stats. 2009, 7th Ex. Sess., Ch. 5, Sec. 39. (SB 1 7x) Effective February 3, 2010.)