For Immediate Release:
June 22, 2026
Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org
SACRAMENTO — On behalf of The Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School has submitted a letter to the California Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee opposing AB 2215. DTEC consists of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta. Coalition members warn that the bill is an attempt to clear the path for controversial projects, including the Delta Conveyance Project, without proper regulatory and public oversight.
AB 2215 would extend the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) water rights permit for the State Water Project by more than forty years, overriding established State Water Board authority and limiting public participation in critical water rights proceedings. The coalition argues that the bill would undermine longstanding procedures governing water rights permit extensions, grant preferential treatment to DWR, and bypass established hearing processes designed to ensure permit extensions serve the public interest.
The letter describes the bill as the latest effort by DWR to exempt itself from rules that apply to all other water rights holders, at the expense of the environment, Delta communities, Tribes, and the public interest.
At a time when the Bay-Delta watershed faces ecological crisis, the coalition emphasizes the importance of maintaining robust State Water Board processes that ensure transparency, accountability, and meaningful public participation in water management decisions. The coalition is urging senators to reject AB 2215 and preserve the safeguards that allow Tribes, Delta communities, and other key stakeholders to participate in decisions that affect California’s water future.
STATEMENTS FROM COALITION MEMBERS:
Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
“The reason that water rights permit extensions require public interest evaluation and environmental review is so that Tribes and others can provide input on impacts and alternatives and the State Water Board can issue an informed decision. AB 2215 would circumvent that process, eliminating our voices and perpetuating centuries of injustice.”
Gary Mulcahy, Government Liaison with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe
“Apparently, existing rules and regulations proved inconvenient for DWR. Rather than follow the established process, the solution appears to be seeking a special legislative exemption so those requirements no longer apply.”
Cintia Cortez, Program Manager, Restore the Delta
“Eliminating the Water Board’s ability to establish regulatory conditions, as directed by the legislature, sets a dangerous precedent. The state cannot achieve equitable management of limited water resources by granting regulatory exemptions.”
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