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The Natural Heritage Institute originated the concept of a “water district for the environment” which has been implemented in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water system as the “Environmental Water Account” (EWA). The EWA is now the largest water purchaser in California. Through prudent use of its property rights in water and its storage and delivery infrastructure, the EWA can dictate water diversion patterns to benefit aquatic species and improve flow conditions. It provides an adaptive strategy that allows for complex and unpredictable interactions between biological health, the water delivery system, and heavily altered aquatic ecosystems. This device is a model that has the potential for application to many water systems where hydraulic alteration for water conveyance and diversions creates severe conflicts with critical habitats.
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