Officials have released the first full public draft of a proposed plan to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The Delta Stewardship Council is proposing rules on river flows, imposing fees on utilities and calling for more water conservation from farmers as part of the "Delta Plan" released Thursday.
The proposed plan comes after years of concerns over an increase in water demand and the decline of habitat in the Delta. The draft plan also urges the State Water Resources Control Board to set enforceable flow objectives for the Delta and its tributaries.
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California officials have released thousands of insects in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to fight an invasive weed, clogging the waterway.
The State Department of Food And Agriculture released more than 5,000 "Water Hyacinth Plant Hoppers" at several locations in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties this month. Officials hope the insects, which are native to South America, will establish self-sustaining colonies and begin gobbling up the water hyacinth.
The invasive plant forms a dense carpet on the surface of waterways clogging the water intake systems.
