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 to excessive water diversions. The hearings come on the heels of a three-year shutdown of commercial salmon fishing. Critics warn that the proposed plan would worsen these impacts by granting water agencies greater flexibility through a loosely enforced system of “voluntary agreements,” leading to increased diversions and reduced water flows.
Morgen Snyder, director of policy and programs at Restore the Delta, told the Sacramento Bee that “the proposed update prioritizes water districts and wealthy agricultural interests over the Board’s obligations to uphold the Public Trust Doctrine and protect water quality for the Tribes and communities that depend upon Delta waterways.”
The Delta is already experiencing severe ecological damage, including the spread of harmful algal blooms. Environmental and fishing advocates told the Los Angeles Times that the updated Bay-Delta Plan fails to address these threats and would weaken enforceable safeguards, allowing even more water to be diverted from an already fragile ecosystem:
“What we are witnessing can only accurately be described as ecosystem collapse,” said Eric Buescher, an attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper
“Excessive water diversions are killing California’s key salmon runs,” added Barry Nelson, an advisor to the Golden State Salmon Association.
“Native fish and wildlife populations are crashing,” said Gary Bobker, program director at Friends of the River.
Our coalition of environmental groups, Tribal leaders, and fishing advocates has pledged to continue opposing the plan, calling instead for strong, enforceable protections for the Delta ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.
News Roundup:
- Heated debate over California water plan as environmentalists warn of ‘ecosystem collapse’. The Los Angeles Times.
- Bay-Delta water plan divides tribes, farmers and regulators. The Sacramento Bee.
- Delta advocates blast Bay-Delta plan, say it prioritizes big business over environment and tribal protections. KPFA.
- Environmental Advocates, Tribes Call for Equitable Alternatives to CA Voluntary Water Agreements. Daily Kos.
- RESTORE THE DELTA: Environmental advocates and tribes call for equitable alternatives to voluntary agreements ahead of Bay-Delta Plan hearing. Maven’s Notebook.
- NOTEBOOK FEATURE: A hard look at the 3,000-page Bay-Delta Plan. Maven’s Notebook.
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