In a recent Maven’s Notebook commentary, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla (Executive Director, Restore the Delta) and Ashley Overhouse (Water Policy Advisor, Defenders of Wildlife) criticize Governor Newsom’s administration for advancing Delta Tunnel trailer bills that undermine California’s water rights, environmental protections, and public due process. These bills aim to fast-track the $100 billion Delta Tunnel project while...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 11, 2025 Contact: Alexandra Nagy, alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org SACRAMENTO, CA – The Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta, has urged the State Water Resources Control Board to grant a 90-day extension of the public comment period...Read More
We are sending out this special edition blog rather than a press release due to time constraints and because we cannot verify all information. However, after hearing from multiple independent parties, we felt that these topics needed sunshine. We have received information about significant ethics problems regarding the interview process for a new General Manager at...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 6, 2025 Contact: Alexandra Nagy, alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, advocates for Delta communities, tribes, and environmental justice denounced the Newsom Administration’s so-called “Delta Conveyance Accountability Action Plan” as a hollow attempt to appease critics while continuing to push forward a deeply flawed and harmful project. Releasing an “Accountability Plan” at...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2025 Contact: Alexandra Nagy, alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org Tribes and environmental advocates raise alarm over exclusionary “voluntary agreements” and ecological impacts Sacramento, Calif. — The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) released its long-awaited proposed updates to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (“Bay-Delta Plan”), a critical policy governing water quality...Read More
On July 23rd and 24th, Restore the Delta’s water quality testing program reported that HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) have been found at Windmill Cove, Buckley Cove, and the Louis Park boat launch in Stockton. Our test strips maxed out at 10 parts per billion, meaning actual toxin levels could be even higher. This exceeds California’s warning thresholds for public health...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 17, 2025 Contact: Alexandra Nagy, alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org Stockton, CA – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom referred to California Tribes, along with environmental and community groups opposing the Delta Conveyance Project, as “special interests.” His remarks in response to our collective Day of Action at the State Capitol yesterday mimic the way President Trump speaks...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2025 Contact: Alexandra Nagy, alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org Sacramento, CA – Tribal leaders and environmental justice advocates met with legislators today for the 2025 Day of Action for Water Justice, urging lawmakers to reject Governor Newsom’s proposed trailer bills that would fast-track the Delta Conveyance Project and bypass critical environmental protections. The day-long...Read More
Read more from our Flood and Land Restoration Manager, Artie Valencia “On May 2nd, 2025, the Trump Administration announced proposed cuts to the Army Corps of Engineers’ construction budget as part of its FY 2026 “skinny budget” that slashes funds for levee upgrades by 53%. The Delta is a system that is held by a...Read More
Project is Overvalued, Under-Analyzed, and a Massive Blow to Ratepayers and the Environment Dear Friends,On behalf of our friends at California Water Impact Network, who completed this excellent work, We want to share a powerful new report and testimony that shares the updated costs of the Delta Conveyance Project. Prepared by the environmental economics firm ECOnorthwest, this report documents how...Read More
