The big Metropolitan Water District of Southern California vote is tomorrow. Here are some great reads and responses to recent actions by Southern California water and business interests to push the Delta Tunnels forward.    Dr. Jeffrey Michael responded to the L.A. Times Editorial Board's push for the Delta Tunnels at the Valley Economy blog, "In the nation's poorest big city, tunnel supporters push to raise water bills based on nostalgia instead of facts."    San Diego Union Tribune Editorial Board disagreed with the L.A. Times Editorial Board and published, "Why Gov. Brown’s water tunnels plan may be doomed."  The San Jose Mercury News Editorial Board did the same, read their editorial, "California audit shows twin-tunnel WaterFix is broken beyond [...]

Excerpt: “For six years we’ve been saying the tunnels are no solution to California’s water crisis. The “WaterFix” looks like a WaterGrab, ultimately creating the massive capacity to flush Delta water into Southern California, regardless of what Brown says now. Claiming they won’t succumb to the pressure to send more water south ignores the long history of California water politics.”

The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board wrote, “Without a formal agreement setting out how much water would cost, what responsible board would vote?”

We are pursuing the Delta Stewardship Council lawsuit, and we will be involved in other litigation, as there will be many, many lawsuits.   We are grateful to NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Golden Gate Salmon Association, Defenders of Wildlife & The Bay Institute for their leadership with this lawsuit. It's a team effort, and these are some of our best partners. With gratitude.   Environmentalists, fishing groups file lawsuits to block Delta tunnels plan San Jose Mercury News, 6/29/2017 (Also reported in Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Stockton Record, Oroville Mercury Register)   In case you missed it, more great stories on the Delta Tunnels:     Editorial: Stop the $17 billion Delta twin-tunnel water grab  San Jose Mercury News Editorial [...]

By John Herrick, South Delta Water Agency Joan Buchanan, Restore the Delta and Bill Jennings, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance The Record (Stockton) Sunday, May. 29, 2016 As residents and long-time defenders of the Delta, we were disappointed by Rep. John Garamendi’s op-ed “No twin tunnels; But legislation would help temper many concerns.” (The Record, May 25) There is a reason no members of Congress from Northern California have supported this bill and why members from Oregon and Washington also oppose it. We believe it is ultimately bad for the Delta. Though the bill, of course, has some good aspects, its purpose is to pump more water out of the Delta. Period. Read full op-ed How do we share California water, [...]

In case you missed it…  The Modesto Bee Our View: Tunnels don’t add up, now we know why BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD March 20, 2016 Read at The Modesto Bee. For years now, Gov. Jerry Brown has been telling us that he will save the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – the greatest fresh-water estuary on this side of the continent – by taking water out of it. Environmental scientists have hustled out to make his case. Wildlife experts have joined the “Oyez” chorus. And state water managers insist it is our only option. Among the biggest and most enthusiastic backers is the largest irrigation district in the world, Westlands Water District, and the largest urban water supplier in the world, Metropolitan Water District. Met has [...]

Two great editorials — in case you missed it!  Mercury News editorial: Delta tunnels partner Westlands is not trustworthy March 17, 2016 Click here to read. Excerpt:  The twin-tunnel project is a bad idea for lots of reasons. Now adding the untrustworthy conduct of a major financial partner, how could Brown even think about moving forward? The Santa Clara Valley Water District needs to fight going into business with Westlands. Contra Costa Times editorial: Westlands fine should stop twin tunnels project March 17, 2016 Click here to read. Excerpt: The twin-tunnel project was a bad idea from the outset. The latest revelation should end any thoughts by Gov. Jerry Brown or any local district of going into business with Westlands.   [...]

In case you missed it… The San Francisco Chronicle Delta tunnel troubles Published: January 30, 2016 Original article at SF Chronicle. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to spend $3.6 million to incorporate his goal to build 40-foot-wide, twin 35-mile-long delta tunnels into state planning. In the scheme of a proposed $17 billion (and probably more costly) project, the amount tucked into the state budget is tiny. If adopted, however, future spending and permitting would need to be consistent with its purpose — to make a “conveyance” part of the state’s Delta Plan. The Brown administration would say a conveyance plan is already part of the plan, but we disagree. Time is running out for the ill-advised Water Fix plan. Proponents — [...]

In case you missed it…    California starts decisive year on governor's water tunnels – Associated Press, read here. Excerpt: Brown and big Central and Southern California water agencies are the tunnels' biggest advocates, while many Northern and Central California cities, towns and counties, and environmental and fishing groups oppose them. Supporters and opponents chiefly disagree over whether the project would further harm Northern California's winding Delta and the San Francisco Bay, the biggest West Coast estuary in the Americas and home to increasingly endangered native fish. On Thursday, regulators of the State Water Resources Control Board weighed whether it was appropriate to start its upcoming hearings regarding the tunnels when the backers have yet to fully specify the project's [...]