In an insightful Los Angeles Times column, George Skelton sharply criticizes Governor Newsom’s attempt to fast-track the controversial Delta Tunnel project by slipping it into the state budget process amid pushback from Delta communities, environmental groups, the salmon fishing industry, and legislative officials. As Skelton writes, the governor’s proposal has nothing to do with budget...Read More
In an insightful opinion piece published for Capitol Weekly, Bruce Reznik — executive director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper — calls on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to prioritize local water infrastructure over costly, outdated megaprojects like the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir. Reznik warns that both projects are expensive, energy-intensive, and environmentally...Read More
Last Friday, the Politico California Climate Newsletter featured an interview with California State Senator Jerry McNerney. Citing their own polling data done in conjunction with the UC Berkeley Citrin Center, Politico found that, “a majority of registered voters in California […] said they believe the tunnel is more likely to come to fruition than the state’s other...Read More
The Sacramento Bee reported that state officials cut water pumping from the Delta this week — even with full reservoirs and a solid snowpack. While state agencies said the move was to protect endangered fish, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, pointed to what’s really going on: the federal government’s aggressive water grabs...Read More
An article published this week by CalMatters highlights the funding crisis facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where over 1,000 miles of aging levees are in dire need of repair and maintenance. If these levees were to fail, they would potentially flood thousands of acres of farmland, threatening critical water supply pumps that serve much of California, and...Read More
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...Read More
In a stunning and compelling New York Times opinion piece, photojournalist Ryan Christopher Jones captures the California Delta’s breathtaking beauty and the high-stakes political fights that threaten it. Blending evocative storytelling with striking imagery, Jones takes readers on a journey through this unique, marshy estuary — home to vibrant wildlife, working marinas, and a water system...Read More
Trump’s PR Stunt Disguised as Water Policy “I am done. I am not going to help them destroy stuff.” – Jacob Malcom, former Interior Department official. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) just pulled off a classic bait-and-switch in California, taking credit for water deliveries that were already scheduled to resume. FOIA records reveal the real...Read More
See the full article below carried in yesterday’s Politico California Climate Newsletter, written by Camille Von Kaenel. Thanks to Camille for the permission to re-print and to Jon at SF Baykeeper for being so right in this piece. Newsom and Trump both want to be water king By CAMILLE VON KAENEL 02/05/2025 09:00 PM EST THE ART...Read More
ICYMI: Media Roundup: Trump Seeks to Assert More Control Over California’s Water President Trump issued a series of executive orders aimed at overriding California’s water policies in response to the Los Angeles fires — setting a dangerous precedent for state management of lands and water. As CalMatters reports, a broad coalition of tribal, environmental justice,...Read More
