For Immediate Release: 11/29/23 North America’s largest and oldest fish are declining fast, as more threats loom. Today, San Francisco Baykeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, the Bay Institute, and Restore the Delta petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list the California white sturgeon as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act. Separately, these groups petitioned Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and NOAA Fisheries to list the San Francisco Bay population of white sturgeon as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.San Francisco Bay and its watershed are home to the only known reproductive population of white sturgeon in California. Excessive freshwater diversions, regular overfishing, and recent algal outbreaks in the Bay have decimated the population. Immediate action is necessary to protect this fish, [...]

‘Deep disappointment’: Global climate envoy Newsom is alienating environmentalists at home – The Sacramento Bee 11/29/23 Gov. Gavin Newsom has been positioning himself as a global climate leader this year, evangelizing California environmentalism in China and at the United Nations. But at home, he is increasingly at loggerheads with leading environmentalists.  Environmental groups and tribes say the governor’s plan to protect water supply from climate change will exacerbate existing ecological devastation and irreversibly damage the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the central hub of the state’s water system…Back in 2020, executive director of Restore the Delta Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said she had plans to meet with Secretary Crowfoot but soon stopped hearing from the Newsom administration on issues impacting Delta farmers, residents and [...]

Dear Friends, This year, I would like to depart from our usual update, and share a very personal story with all of you about what drives my work at Restore the Delta and how my personal story has led to our developing a dynamic young staff working for a sustainable and just future for the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary.– Barbara Protecting Special Places, a Family Affair  Until I was 12 years old, I lived on the south shore of Lake Michigan between Gary and Michigan City, Indiana, in a community that is now adjacent to the Indiana Dunes National Park. That region became a protected national site in 1966 due to the advocacy and local leadership of that community, and [...]

Column: This water project is expensive, wasteful and ecologically damaging. Why is it being fast-tracked? – Los Angeles Times 11/21/23Newsom and other Sites advocates have tried to justify the project with flagrantly misleading statistics. As Newsom said when announcing his certification, the reservoir would hold “up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, enough for 3 million households’ yearly usage.” That claim may have been accepted by some people who should know better, but it’s fakery, pure and simple. First, suggesting that the reservoir’s storage would serve “3 million households” is deceptive. As much as 80% of the water would be stored for the benefit of Central Valley growers, not urban residents.1st Bay-Delta Hearing Panels – 11/17/23Missed our panels from last week and need a [...]

Where’s our water? A look at California’s storage problem– BakersfieldNow 11/15/23In 2014, California voters passed a proposition using $7.5 billion dollars in state funds to expand water storage capacity. Nearly 10 years later, people say not much has come from the vote. The main focus on their minds is the failure to expand Shasta Dam.…So what’s the problem with raising the dam? Jon Rosenfield, Science Director at San Francisco Baykeeper, says a whole lot.“Raising that dam is going to have negative impacts,” Rosenfield said.First, Rosenfield suggests that California has too many water deliveries to hold significant reserves that an expanded Shasta Dam would collect.“When there is water to use, it will get used,” Rosenfield said. “There are more water rights, rights to divert [...]

New poll finds that California voters disapprove of Newsom’s performance as governor– LA Times 11/7/23A new Los Angeles Times/UC Berkeley poll found Newsom’s approval rating sinking to the lowest point of his nearly five years in office, with 44% of respondents having a favorable view of his job performance and 49% disapproving. There may be several explanations; like barnacles on a ship, negatives tend to accumulate the longer a politician stays in office.Some on the left are disappointed with Newsom’s approach to the state’s homelessness and mental health crises. Some environmentalists are unhappy with the governor’s water policy.Restore the Delta provides context:Governor Newsom’s water policy inadequately included tribes and environmental justice communities. The overdue Bay-Delta Plan is still in the process of review from organizations and communities as [...]

Governor Newsom Subverts CEQA to Jam Through Environmentally Destructive Sites Reservoir Project – Sierra Club California 11/6/23  Governor Newsom certified the environmentally destructive Sites Reservoir project for judicial streamlining under Senate Bill 149. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee will have 30 days to concur in the Governor’s recommendation, or prevent this project from being inappropriately streamlined.Sites Reservoir would be a new off-stream reservoir that diverts water from the Sacramento River, one of the main tributaries to the San Francisco Bay-Delta. The Bay-Delta ecosystem is in decline due to decades of unsustainable water diversions. The State Water Board is currently moving forward with updates to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan that could provide increased freshwater flows to address long-standing challenges with [...]

The Delta Residents Survey Results are in! –Delta Stewardship Council & other research partners 10/2023 What is the Delta Residents Survey?“The 2023 Delta Residents Survey was a first effort of its kind in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to develop a rigorous survey research methodology to begin to assess important social indicators affecting Delta residents’ well-being.” For the survey question, “Who do you feel best advocates for your interests in the Delta?” Restore the Delta was the most-mentioned community-based organization! (page 56) And scored higher than elected officials and government agencies.Why Conduct a Survey?“In 2009, the Delta Reform Act created the Delta Stewardship Council to advance California’s “coequal goals” for the Delta: “a more reliable statewide water supply and a resilient Delta ecosystem – [...]

For Immediate Release: 10/31/23  Contact: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, (209) 479-2053, [email protected]  Today, October 31st, Secretary Crowfoot hosted a discussion with leaders and governance from across California on the topic of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A part of Crowfoot’s Secretary Speaker series, this session focused on how the Delta is a biodiversity hub, how it plays an important role for serving communities and agriculture, and future climate planning efforts. However, even with this discussion, there is still a lack in proper engagement and collaboration for protecting Tribes and Delta communities.   Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta:  “If the State cares about Delta communities and climate planning for the estuary as they said today, then they need to perfect tribal [...]