Newsom in fight to advance plans for $20-billion water tunnel in the Sacramento Delta – The Los Angeles Times 4/06/25
New Poll Reveals CA Voters Prefer Local, Sustainable Water Solutions Over Delta Tunnel – Daily Kos 4/06/25
PRESS RELEASES: Restore the Delta’s poll of CA voters reveals strong preference for investments in local water supplies over building the Delta tunnel; Californians for Water Security responds – Maven’s Notebook 4/05/25
On Friday, April 4th, Restore the Delta released new polling data showing that California voters overwhelmingly favor investing in affordable and sustainable local water solutions rather than proceeding with the costly Delta Tunnel project.
A Los Angeles Times article highlights that after hearing arguments both for and against the Delta Tunnel, 58% of voters opposed the project, while only 34% supported it, and 8% were undecided.
The piece contrasts the Newsom administration’s push for this project, supported by large agribusiness interests, with the strong public preference for investing in water resilience strategies that prioritize local water supplies. These strategies include upgrading levees, wastewater recycling, and capturing stormwater—solutions that voters see as more effective, less costly, and better for communities and the environment.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla of the Restore the Delta stated, “The state must abandon this outdated project that they have kept alive for decades. People reject expensive megaprojects like the Delta tunnel.”
A Daily Kos piece further emphasizes the polling’s key findings, showing that a significant 62% of voters favor investing in local water infrastructure over the Tunnel. Additionally, 92% of voters, across all political affiliations, recognize the importance of the Bay-Delta to California’s economy and quality of life, including for communities near the Delta.
The article also highlights a misleading statement from Californians for Water Security, which misinterprets the poll results. Notably, Californians for Water Security’s narrative that the Tunnel will “secure California’s water future” is challenged by the fact that the project is designed to benefit corporate agribusiness, as evidenced by testimony from DWR engineer Amardeep Singh. The article clarifies the bottom line of the poll: after hearing arguments from both sides, a substantial majority of California voters oppose the Delta Tunnel.
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