For Immediate Release:
April 9, 2026
Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org
Sacramento, Calif. — A coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates has submitted a letter to the California Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife opposing AB 2215. The bill, which seeks to extend the Department of Water Resources’ water rights permit for the State Water Project until 2085, is being criticized for bypassing existing regulatory processes managed by the State Water Resources Control Board (“Water Board”).
“This bill would set an extremely dangerous precedent,” said Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs at Restore the Delta. “Protecting our waterways and the communities that depend on them requires maintaining rigorous standards for all water rights holders. Granting exemptions that override existing processes creates a system that favors powerful users at the expense of ecosystem and community health.”
The coalition asserts that AB 2215:
- undermines the established procedures for water rights holders to request permit extensions
- grants preferential treatment to the State Water Contractors
- and threatens the already fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem
This bill would be clearing the way for controversial projects like the Delta Conveyance Project without proper regulatory oversight.
The coalition includes the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Restore the Delta, San Francisco Baykeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network, Resource Renewal Institute, Sierra Club California, CleanEarth4Kids.org, Golden State Salmon Association, Friends of the River, Defenders of Wildlife, Central Delta Water Agency, Reclamation District 150, Reclamation District 307, Friends of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Center for Environmental Health, AquAlliance, South Delta Water Agency, and Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS).
Amid a broader political climate of deregulation, the group stresses the importance of maintaining robust Water Board processes to ensure transparency, public participation, and responsible state water planning. The coalition strongly urges lawmakers to oppose AB 2215 to uphold these critical standards.
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