In a powerful commentary published by Maven’s Notebook, Tom Zuckerman, a Delta farmer located in Stockton, and Gary Bobker, Program Director at Friends of the River, sound the alarm about Governor Newsom’s approach to California’s water policy. The authors sharply criticize the Governor’s push to waive key environmental protections through budget trailer bills, which they see as a troubling dismissal of both public input and science.
Zuckerman and Bobker detail how California’s century-old reliance on the Delta’s water supply is unsustainable and damaging; the current system of dams, reservoirs, and canals has drained rivers, decimated fish populations, and caused toxic algal blooms. Despite these warning signs, the Governor is pushing forward with plans to build a $60-100 billion Delta Tunnel. The authors caution that such a project will not only deepen California’s dependence on unreliable water systems, but also make the state more vulnerable to climate change.
Instead, the commentary advocates for local water self-reliance projects, like water recycling and stormwater capture, which can address water needs more sustainably and affordably. Zuckerman and Bobker argue that Newsom’s proposed policies favor big water users while sidelining the potential of these local solutions, all while driving up costs for everyday Californians.
The authors contend that the Governor’s disregard for public input and environmental laws is an attempt to push through expensive, ineffective projects without scrutiny. They stress that California’s water future must be built on transparency, local solutions, and long-term sustainability, rather than costly, top-down megaprojects like the Delta Tunnel.
Read the full piece here.
Similarly, an article in the Sacramento News & Review sheds light on the broad coalition of Tribes, environmental organizations, and Delta advocates calling on lawmakers to defend California’s water rights, environmental protections, and public due process. The groups are mobilizing against the Governor and legislative leaders’ attempts to bypass those protections via new trailer bills that benefit Big Agriculture and Southern California water agencies.
At a recent rally, Tribal leaders and Delta activists voiced their opposition to the Delta Tunnel project, emphasizing the injustice of attempting to push it through the legislature while overriding public input.
As Malissa Tayaba, the Vice-Chair of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, put it, “Passage of either trailer bill would undermine our ability to maintain our cultural traditions and sovereignty. The CEQA trailer bill would eliminate the opportunity for analysis and review of tribal cultural impacts in water quality control plans – it is an erasure of the commitments the Governor and the legislature have made to repair relationships with California tribes … Our people and our region are not a sacrifice zone. We will continue to speak out to protect and maintain our culture.”
Read the full article here.