Yesterday, the Department of Water Resources certified the environmental impact report for the Delta Conveyance Project, completing a major milestone. Here’s what organizations had to say.
From the Delta Counties Coalition:
In response to Department of Water Resources (DWR) certifying the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approving the Delta Conveyance Project, Patrick Hume, Chair of the Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), made the following statement on behalf of the five jurisdictions that would be most negatively impacted by the controversial Delta Tunnel megaproject:
As the DCC previously stated when this 27,000+ Final EIR was released on December 8th, this proposed Tunnel project continues to be based on last century thinking and merely moves water from the north to the south without adding any new water to the system. It is a deeply flawed plan that does not improve statewide water supplies and would unfairly sacrifice the Delta region, and harm California’s economy.
It is crystal clear that the Administration hasn’t properly considered Delta community interests. If DWR had done that, it would have listened to Delta policymakers and stakeholders who have the most to lose if a destructive Delta Conveyance Project is rammed through this National Heritage Area and its legacy communities.
This 16-year, $16+ billion ratepayer-funded megaproject would no doubt cause grave environmental and ecological impacts in the Delta. It would also have negative economic, social, and security impacts on California residents in the Bay-Delta region and beyond – especially those in underserved communities where water quality and quantity are at stake.
The Delta Tunnel would not provide a resilient and reliable statewide water supply or address the reality of climate change and years of extended droughts with sporadic flood events. In fact, this disastrous Tunnel project would not provide a new source of water to our already over-drafted system. The Tunnel has zero ability to make or store new water.
Tunnel proponents also must stop using false statements that the Tunnel would protect water supplies in the event of an earthquake, when there has been no evidence that past earthquakes have caused damage to existing water infrastructure.
This is just another example that the state will say anything to justify this ill-fated project, regardless of its damaging effects.
This Delta Tunnel fight is far from over. There are still over a dozen major State and Federal actions that would need to be taken in order for this project to move forward, and that doesn’t account for the legal challenges at every step of the way. In reality, any Delta conveyance is decades away from being built and, in the meantime, the State is doing very little to meaningfully address critical needs to improve existing deficient water infrastructure.
The State must change its focus from a Tunnel that won’t create any new water and would destroy the Delta and instead, take more productive actions now like maintaining and improving the Delta levee system, developing sensible above and below ground storage, and building additional water projects to conserve and reuse water throughout the state. If the same energy were devoted to these actions instead of on the controversial Tunnel, California could have made genuine progress in addressing water sustainability and reliability.
There is still time for the state to correct its “Tunnel vision” and re-focus efforts on projects that can secure resilient, equitable, long-term water supplies while preserving natural resources for future generations. The question is, does the State have the common sense and cooperative spirit to do so?”
The Delta Counties Coalition (DCC) is an alliance of the California Counties of Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, and Yolo. The DCC works to give one voice to the Delta. The DCC has three goals: improve the Delta ecosystem, provide a more reliable water supply for the State, and protect and enhance Delta communities. The DCC works with local, state, and federal stakeholders to develop and implement solutions that address California’s water issues in a comprehensive, sustainable manner. For more information about the DCC and its solutions to a Delta Tunnel visit savethedelta.saccounty.gov.
From Barbara Barrigan-Parilla, Restore the Delta:
“We and our broad coalition of partners will engage in all necessary processes, and when necessary, litigation, to stop the Delta Conveyance Project once and for all. Sadly, the Newsom Administration is continuing to waste public dollars and time advancing a project that Californians have rejected for decades and that will not solve our climate water challenge or protect the Bay-Delta estuary. We are disappointed in the Newsom Administration’s recycling of failed ideas from past generations.
“To this end, our attorneys at the Mills Legal Clinic at Stanford Law School sent a letter to US EPA on behalf of the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (Buena Vista Rancheria, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta) reaffirming that our Title VI complaint, which has been accepted for investigation, and our petition or rulemaking for protective flow standards for the Delta must advance rapidly. One of our primary requests for relief to US EPA is that a completed Bay-Delta Plan must be set in place, with protective science-based standards for estuary health, before any tunnel or major infrastructure project advances.
“The Newsom Administration has the order of operations backwards. The Bay-Delta Plan, along with a state water inventory of supply and demand, must be completed before wasting money and more time on wasteful infrastructure planning.
“We are confident that ultimately this project will die from its own bloated costs. Until then, we will continue to advance real solutions for California water management, like broadscale floodplain restoration in the Central Valley, water quality protections, and robust funding for river and Sierra wetland restoration, along with urban water resiliency projects.”
From Charley Wilson, Executive Director, Southern California Water Coalition
“Today represents a pivotal moment in California’s ongoing quest to secure its water future. The Southern California Water Coalition commends the Department of Water Resources for approving the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Delta Conveyance Project. This accomplishment underscores our collective commitment to addressing complex climate-related challenges. The Delta Conveyance Project embodies California’s resilience and dedication to ensuring a reliable, sustainable, and equitable water supply.
The State Water Project has long been the backbone of water distribution in California, serving millions of Californians, supporting agriculture, and fueling our dynamic economy. However, climate change necessitates a transformative response to safeguard this resource. The Delta Conveyance Project, in its current form, fortifies Delta infrastructure, enhancing water security against climate-driven threats.
We’re heartened by the project’s rigorous evolution, reflecting our shared commitment to a reliable water supply and Delta ecosystem preservation. As we move forward, SCWC eagerly anticipates continued collaboration with the Department of Water Resources and stakeholders. The project is an investment in California’s prosperity, sustainability, and well-being.
Together, let’s celebrate this milestone, navigate the permitting process, and commence construction, securing California’s vibrant water future.”
From Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors:
“The State Water Contractors celebrate DWR’s certification of the Final EIR for the Delta Conveyance Project — a critical step in the process that will give us the green light to move forward with the project and secure California’s water future, while limiting diversions to times when all water quality standards for the environment and other users have been met.
With this certification, the state is recognizing that the time to modernize the SWP’s infrastructure is now — improving the way we capture and move water during high-flow weather events to store for later use when it’s dry. The Delta Conveyance Project has been reviewed, studied, re-reviewed, and re-studied for over a decade. With recent advances in science and forecasting that enable to state to make management decisions that respond to real time hydrologic conditions for the benefit of both people and fish, the Project will improve the state’s ability to advance the co-equal goals of protecting the Delta ecosystem while meeting the water needs for two-thirds of the state that depend on the State Water Project.
The Delta Conveyance Project is not a replacement for any of the actions water managers across California are already taking to build local water resiliency by developing more local and regional supplies, banking water whenever possible, and continuing to help native fish and wildlife. Rather, it is a critical tool in the state’s toolbox to help strengthen these efforts to secure affordable, high-quality water for the long term. It is time to stop talking and start building, putting into action the Governor’s ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to improving California’s resiliency to climate change. We should have done this yesterday, but the next best time is now, and the Delta Conveyance Project’s Final EIR certification is our go-ahead to begin building our way to a better future.”
DCP-Quote-Sheet_December-2023
