For Immediate Release:
February 6, 2026
Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org
Sacramento, Calif. — Today, the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta, formally filed public comments in response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s proposed update to the Bay-Delta Plan, following an unprecedented level of public participation opposing the draft update.
“Delta communities and Californians more broadly do not support the flawed voluntary agreements proposal,” said Cintia Cortez, Policy Program Manager at Restore the Delta. “Deteriorating conditions are threatening the safety, health, and economic prosperity of Delta communities, cultural wellness of Delta tribes, and water supply for all Californians. We urge the Board to side with the community, who were the vast majority of respondents in recent hearings, and science in opposing the fatally flawed proposal.”
Over the course of three days of State Water Board hearings, more than 180 members of the public provided oral comments, the largest public turnout the Board has ever seen. Testimony was overwhelmingly opposed to the State’s proposed Voluntary Agreements (VAs) – privately negotiated deals allowing powerful water districts to offer limited flow commitments and funding in exchange for exemptions from stronger, enforceable regulatory requirements.
Of the 185 total speakers, a vast majority (83%) spoke in opposition to the proposed VAs. All speakers in support of the VAs identified themselves as representatives of a business association, water wholesaler, water retailer, or water utility; not a single unaffiliated member of the public spoke in favor of the VAs.
This historic turnout reflects extensive community organizing led by a broad coalition of Tribes, conservation advocates, fishing groups, and environmental justice organizations, including:
- Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
- Winnemum Wintu
- California Indian Environmental Alliance
- Sierra Club California
- Yosemite River Alliance
- San Francisco Bay-Keeper
- Friends of the River
- Defenders of Wildlife
- California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
- Restore the Delta
- Save California Salmon
The comments submitted by DTEC reflect the clear and overwhelming opposition of everyday Californians and urge the State Water Board to reject the Voluntary Agreements approach. Instead, DTEC calls on the Board to enforce strong, science-based protections for Delta water quality and ecosystems, uphold democratic participation in water planning, and respect Tribal sovereignty and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Read the Coalition’s comments in full here.
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