Following two days of public comments opposing the proposal, the State Water Board approved Governor Newsom’s updated Bay-Delta Plan centering voluntary agreements.  As the Los Angeles Times reports, environmental and Tribal representatives condemned the exclusionary framework and lack of transparency surrounding the decision-making process. They criticized “what they described as backroom deals intended to help...Read More

As the State Water Board prepares to adopt the updated Bay-Delta Plan this week, San Francisco Chronicle reporting reveals significant flaws surrounding the proposal’s implementation and funding.   The article points to the lack of buy-in from major water suppliers, including East Bay Municipal Utility District and Santa Clara Valley Water District, as a source of...Read More

The Los Angeles Times took a deep dive into the controversy surrounding the Newsom administration’s agreement to pay a private investment firm $180 million for a relatively small amount of additional water for Sacramento River salmon. At roughly $36,000 per acre-foot, dozens of times what cities pay for a single year of water on average,...Read More

Governor Newsom recently vetoed SB 872, the Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund, missing a critical opportunity to protect the state’s water resources and Delta communities.. The Governor’s veto message pointed to more than $170 million allocated for repairing levees, aqueducts, canals and other projects, calling SB 872 “unnecessary”, but the state’s own data emphasizes...Read More

California state agencies used a confidentiality agreement to keep some communications regarding the scientific basis for the updated Bay-Delta Plan hidden from public knowledge, as revealed by Ashley Zavala on KCRA’s CA Politics 360 show. The agreement between the State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources, and Department of Fish and Wildlife was discovered...Read More

Native tribes denied greater say in water decisions with Newsom veto Newsom Vetoes Sacred Sites and Tribal Water Bills Despite Overwhelming Votes Tribal advocates say Newsom apologized for state history, then vetoed their bills Governor Newsom Ignores Water-Sector Consensus and Fails to Make Water Affordable in California  Newsom’s final legislative session has ended with broken...Read More

In a recent letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a broad coalition of Tribes and environmental groups expressed concern over the Bureau of Reclamation’s position on California’s authority over the Central Valley Project and the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The letter points to the Bureau’s recent assertion that the State Water Resources Control Board has no...Read More

Dear friends,In an email shared earlier today, we highlighted a few legislative wins shared by California’s Legislative Delta Caucus and Senator Jerry McNerney.Those wins include: $90.2 million to protect the Delta and fortify its aging levees Along with up to $68 million to safeguard the State Water Project’s (SWP) California Aqueduct and canals, which are being...Read More

Several critical water priorities have been approved by the state Legislature. Here are some key updates. SB 872, a bill designed to safeguard California’s water supply for decades to come, has been unanimously approved by the Legislature.  The bill brings together Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups including Restore the Delta, and water interests...Read More

In a new op-ed published by CalMatters, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director at Restore the Delta, and Gary Mulcahy, government liaison with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, condemn the Newsom Administration’s efforts to advance controversial land and water-use proposals, including California Forever, voluntary agreements and the Delta Tunnel.  Drawing on their years of experiences throughout Newsom’s governorship, the...Read More