Title

Finding The Socially Optimal Solution For California'S Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Problem

Keywords

California; Deltas; Flood frequency; Social factors; Water supply

Abstract

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the major hub of water supply and is central to the ecosystem of many native threatened and endangered species in California. This multi-benefit system with two major competitors, namely the economy and the environment, is currently in crisis. Four central strategic options, compatible with the two co-equal goals for future Delta management (1-conservation of the ecosystem; and 2- creation of a reliable water supply for California) have been proposed for solving the Delta problem. The uncertainty associated with the performance of these alternatives under the two equally-weighted selection criteria, environmental sustainability and the economic cost, makes selection of the appropriate solution challenging. This paper applies a Monte-Carlo social choice making procedure, based on a variety of social choice rules, to identify the socially optimal solution for California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta problem in face of uncertainties. Results suggest that building a peripheral conveyance for water exports is the socially optimal solution to the Delta problem. © 2011 ASCE.

Publication Date

7-21-2011

Publication Title

World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2011: Bearing Knowledge for Sustainability - Proceedings of the 2011 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress

Number of Pages

3190-3197

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1061/41173(414)334

Socpus ID

79960429801 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/79960429801

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