The Department of Water Resources (DWR) released a report today analyzing how various strategies, including the Delta Conveyance Project, could support the State Water Project (SWP) in sustaining consistent water deliveries to 27 million Californians amid challenges such as rising temperatures, intensified storms, prolonged droughts, and increasing sea levels.
Here’s what organizations had to say:
From the Delta Counties Coalition:
In response to the California Department of Water Resources’ announcement today promoting its latest “report” claiming the Delta Tunnel Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel) will solve California’s water crisis made worse by climate change, Patrick Hume, Chair of the Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), issued the following statement on behalf of the five counties and 4 million California residents that stand to be most negatively impacted by this controversial megaproject:
“The Delta Counties Coalition strongly rejects the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) recent claim that the Delta Tunnel will address climate change and provide a resilient, statewide water supply. These assertions are misleading and unsupported by evidence. Despite being portrayed as a climate adaptation project, the Delta Tunnel would do nothing to solve the root issue of California’s over-allocated water system, which is already pushed beyond its limits by long- term drought, unsustainable groundwater pumping, and shifting weather patterns. Transporting water in a big new tunnel to places water already goes is not climate resilience — it’s wishful and wasteful thinking.
As California continues to face extended droughts and flood events, the tunnel offers no real solution. It’s a transport system that cannot realistically capture significant amounts of flood flows and does nothing to address the State’s very real infrastructure maintenance and repair needs. Nor will it provide security in dry years when water supplies are dangerously low. DWR’s claims use scare tactics in the absence of scientific or operational evidence that a tunnel will increase water reliability under real climate stress.
This is on top of DWR’s misleading claims that the tunnel could have captured 956,000 acre-feet of water in 2024 yet offers no concrete plan for how or where that water would be stored — underground or otherwise.
If this Administration — and those before it — had prioritized common-sense, climate-smart water investments over a multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar tunnel, California would be far better prepared to weather our current crisis. Areas like Orange County and San Diego are already leading the way with investments in local water reuse, stormwater capture, and recycling — projects that provide real water and real resilience.
The State should re-focus on maintaining and strengthening levees to protect the Delta’s freshwater pathway through the Delta to the existing export pumps, investing in above- and below-ground water storage, and expanding conservation and reuse across all sectors. The State’s adopted budget makes no investments in protecting and strengthening Delta levees, despite wild claims of their imminent collapse. The Delta Tunnel is not a climate solution and has severe negative effects on the Delta ecosystem and communities. It is a costly distraction that risks sacrificing the Delta ecosystem without delivering meaningful benefits for California’s future.
It’s time to reject the Governor’s divisive tunnel politics and invest in water strategies that actually work — for people, the environment, and generations to come.”
From the Metropolitan Water District:
Metropolitan General Manager Deven Upadhyay issues the following statement on the California Department of Water Resources’ release of its first-ever State Water Project Adaptation Strategy:
“The findings in this report reaffirm that climate change is driving a long-term decline in supplies from the State Water Project. But these analyses also show we are not powerless – there are tangible actions we can take to reduce that decline and safeguard this critical water source.
“Among the strategies evaluated, the report identifies the Delta Conveyance Project as the single most effective adaptation measure. While Metropolitan’s board has not yet decided whether to invest in the project, the report’s findings – along with information gathered through the planning process – will be critical to that decision. This is why Metropolitan strongly supports Gov. Gavin Newsom’s legislative proposal to expedite the project’s planning, ensuring the board has the information needed to make a well-informed choice. The state’s plan also includes strategies to maintain existing infrastructure, add storage south of the Delta, repair canals damaged by groundwater over-pumping and use storm forecasting improvements to operate reservoirs.
“We commend the Department of Water Resources for its leadership in identifying strategies with the greatest potential to make California’s water system more resilient, flexible, and sustainable for the future.
“As Metropolitan continues advancing regional investments in local water supply projects, conservation and storage, we recognize that no single solution will secure our future. Through our Climate Adaptation Master Plan for Water, we are strategically investing in Southern California’s water reliability.”
From Restore the Delta:
Today, Restore the Delta and allies denounced the California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) newly released State Water Project Adaptation Strategy, calling it a performative effort to justify the controversial Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), rather than a serious evaluation of adaptation strategies.
While framed as an “evaluation,” the report repeats long-debunked talking points to present the Delta tunnel as the “optimal solution” to climate and infrastructure challenges, while ignoring more urgent, cost-effective measures like strengthening Delta levees and repairing existing State Water Project infrastructure.
“Framed as an evaluation, this report is DWR’s self-validating push for the Delta Conveyance Project, touting debunked half-truths while ignoring the most obvious investment needed: upgrades to existing Delta levees that protect SWP infrastructure, Delta residents, and the nearly $7 billion Delta economy,” said Morgen Snyder, Policy Manager with Restore the Delta.
Among the report’s most concerning flaws:
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Overstated earthquake risk in the Delta, which independent experts have long warned is exaggerated to justify the tunnel.
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Cherry-picked climate science, with DWR continuing a “high concern” framing on sea level rise while downplaying alternative adaptation options.
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Failure to address Delta levee upgrades, despite clear evidence that continued land subsidence threatens both aqueducts and levees.
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Mischaracterization of flood and storage risks, framing natural river flows as “wasted” water rather than vital ecological functions.
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Repackaged stakeholder engagement promises, which echo past performative processes without meaningful input from Delta communities.
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Costly distractions from real needs, with DWR leaning on Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) goals to justify the tunnel instead of addressing unsustainable water use and groundwater recharge infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the report acknowledges key issues Restore the Delta has flagged for years – such as subsidence threatening the California Aqueduct – but still steers attention back to the tunnel rather than investing in levee improvements or aqueduct repairs.
“The actual path to a sustainable water future – one that provides safe, accessible, and affordable water to people and the environment – involves reducing unsustainable corporate agriculture, restoring river flows, and prioritizing urban infill development over suburban sprawl,” said Max Gomberg, Independent Water Expert. “The Governor can put out as many cherry-picked reports supporting his tunnel as he wants, but it won’t change the fact that the true beneficiaries are agribusiness, highly-paid water managers, and developers – and neither they nor the Governor care about the rate impacts on hardworking Californians and the environmental destruction it will cause.”
The Delta supports a nearly $7 billion local economy, including $5 billion in agriculture, $1.5 billion in commercial salmon fishing, and $780 million in recreation – an economy left out of DWR’s calculations.
Restore the Delta calls on Governor Newsom and DWR to invest first in repairing and upgrading existing Delta levees and aqueducts, restoring river flows and floodplains, and ensuring real accountability for water use – instead of doubling down on a $100 billion tunnel project that jeopardizes the Delta’s environment, economy, and communities.
From the Southern California Water Coalition:
From Charley Wilson, Executive Director: “This isn’t just another report — it’s a wake-up call. The science is clear, the stakes are high, and the time for half-measures is over. The Delta Conveyance Project is the lifeline California needs to survive a future of climate extremes. Every delay puts our communities, our farms, and our economy at risk. Governor Newsom is right to demand action, and the Southern California Water Coalition stands with him in calling for bold, immediate progress.”
With Governor Newsom’s strong endorsement, this plan is a call to action in how California prepares for droughts, floods, and a shrinking snowpack. The Southern California Water Coalition urges swift implementation to protect our water future.
From the State Water Contractors:
Statement from Jennifer Pierre, General Manager: “The Governor’s landmark State Water Project Adaptation Strategy confirms what we’ve long known: climate change has already impacted the State Water Project, and without decisive action, future generations could face significant water shortages. The Department of Water Resources’ analysis makes it clear that the best way to preserve water reliability is through a portfolio of investments, including Delta Conveyance, groundwater and above-ground storage, forecast-informed reservoir operations and repairs to the subsided portions of the California Aqueduct.
“The State Water Contractors appreciate that the Department of Water Resources’ report validates that each climate adaptation action we are currently pursuing has significant benefits on its own and, together, can create an even greater impact. We stand ready to partner with state and federal agencies and our local communities to make these climate adaptation strategies a reality. We are already investing in groundwater recharge, stormwater capture and other projects that, if done as part of a comprehensive, statewide strategy, will give Californians the resilient water future they deserve.
“Climate change is not a distant threat. It is already impacting the State Water Project. The investments and decisions we make today will determine whether future generations have a reliable water supply. We need sustained, long-term funding, streamlined regulatory coordination and a shared commitment to climate-resilient infrastructure to protect the people, economy and ecosystems that rely on the State Water Project.”
