Dear Friends The Department of Water Resources has announced it will be conducting long-overdue outreach on its Community Benefits Package for the impacts caused by the Delta Conveyance Project in the form of five (5) listening sessions. We encourage community members to engage in these listening sessions, however, we also want to ensure you know your value as a resident of...Read More

By: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla Our team has been working tirelessly to defend the Delta and our communities against the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP).  While we have secured victories in the courts regarding bond financing, the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) has unfortunately approved the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Certification of Consistency for the proposed the DCP, even though...Read More

In a CalMatters piece published today, Rachel Becker outlines the major obstacles facing efforts to revive the Delta Tunnel project. Even as Governor Newsom claims the state is “closer than ever” to completing it, significant hurdles remain, including a massive price tag, unclear financing plans, pending critical water rights decisions, and a lack of commitments from water...Read More

This week, the Sacramento County Superior Court denied a motion by the State Water Contractors to disqualify Judge Stephen P. Acquisto, who has presided for more than two years over coordinated cases challenging the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) approvals of the Delta Tunnel project.  More than ten cases are currently pending, including challenges to...Read More

In a win for transparency and accountability, particularly for Delta communities, Tribes, ecosystems, and ratepayers statewide, the California Supreme Court denied review of a trial court ruling that found the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) exceeded its authority in approving bond financing for the Delta Tunnel.Attorneys representing several Counties and agencies challenging DWR, Roger...Read More

A recent article from SJV Water highlights a steady decline in support for the controversial Delta Tunnel project among Kern County agricultural water districts over the past year. Support dropped sharply again following the Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District’s decision to cut its contribution by nearly 97%, from $4.6 million to just $146,000. The piece adds to...Read More

US. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) condemned the Department of the Interior’s proposal to spend $40 million in taxpayer funds on planning and preconstruction activities to raise Shasta Dam, calling it an “unlawful, wasteful, and destructive boondoggle.”  Raising Shasta Dam is illegal under California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which protects the McCloud River, an area that...Read More

A group of House members, all representing districts served by powerful water agencies, has urged the Newsom administration to roll back a key environmental rule governing operations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The rule includes critical limits intended to protect the ecological health of the state’s largest and most fragile estuary. Both the Newsom...Read More

Coverage on the Bay-Delta plan hearings last week continues to highlight Restore the Delta and our partners’ opposition to the Voluntary Agreements, including coverage from the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee. The article published by the San Francisco Chronicle details the widespread criticism California’s updated Bay-Delta Plan faced during recent public hearings. At packed sessions, hundreds of members...Read More

As you’ve seen in our Action Alerts, the updated Bay-Delta Plan is under debate during hearings convened by the State Water Resources Control Board. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from Tribes, environmental justice organizations, and commercial and recreational fishing groups. As the Los Angeles Times reports, years of research shows California’s fish populations are at serious risk due...Read More