For Immediate Release: Friday, April 3, 2015 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta New Analysis Finds Harm in Gov. Brown’s Drought Order: Suspends CEQA, Abandons Public Rulemaking Drought Barriers for up to 10 Years, Decimate Fisheries, But No Restrictions on Mega-Farms Stockton, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build water export Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to Gov. Brown’s executive order. “While urban water conservation measures are desperately needed, Governor Brown is not calling for shared sacrifice,” said RTD Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla. “What he is enacting is sacrifice by 98% of Californians, and the [...]

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta   Drought Barriers to Push Delta Closer to Collapse: Threaten Salmon, No Restrictions on Mega-Farms   Stockton, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build water export Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to Gov. Brown’s latest drought measures. “Governor Brown has had two responses of opposite extremes to the drought crisis,” said executive director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla. “The first response is to place the largest burden of conservation on urban water users.  His second response is to push the Delta further toward ecological collapse [...]

Tunnel Critics: MWD Emails Show Water-Takers’ Secret Influence; Move to Gut Endangered Species Act Protections Stockton, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build water export Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to a report in Energy & Environment Daily that shows water-takers are exerting undue influence over legislation, and directing a move to gut Endangers Species Act (ESA) protections. “S. Calif. water district exerts heavy influence on legislative negotiations Debra Kahn, Energy & Environment reporter E&E Daily: Friday, March 27, 2015 “As congressional talks continue over California’s historic drought, one participant in the negotiations has been more influential than it has claimed. “Metropolitan [...]

San Jose Mercury News:  Fate of Delta smelt sinks as numbers drop By Denis Cuff POSTED:   03/17/2015 10:41:07 PM PDT EXCERPT: "The relaxed standards were aimed at storing water in reservoirs for a long, dry summer, but environmentalists say the emergency rule has hastened the decline of the smelt. "Excessive water pumping by the state and federal water exporters has led to the collapse of the estuary," said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta." Read San Jose Mercury News article here.  East Bay Express: California Targets Wrong Water Wasters By Robert Gammon MARCH 18, 2015 EXCERPT: "Environmentalists, however, are concerned the current record-drought conditions will only lead to dumber decisions about water. They're worried that instead of calling for the end of [...]

Fishermen, Delta Leaders: Exporters “Destroy Delta Smelt” Export Projects Overpumping Delta During Drought Destroys Fisheries If Endangered Species Become Extinct, Fault Will Be With State Water Board and Captive Fish Agencies Stockton, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD) and other opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build massive underground Tunnels that would drain the Delta of freshwater and doom sustainable farms, and salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to the finding that Delta Smelt may be extinct. The latest state trawl survey found just six smelt to date. The smelt may be reaching the point of no return if swift action is not taken. The tunnels opponents criticized a move by the State Water Board to further weaken Delta [...]

Articles • Temporary urgency, permanent extinction? • While Westlands Drives the Regulatory Process… • Would Delta Barriers Really be a Last Resort? • Curtailing water use during drought? Temporary urgency, permanent extinction? By: Tim Stroshane and Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla Releasing his latest Delta water quality order late on March 5th, Tom Howard, executive director of the State Water Resources Control Board, added a loophole allowing state and federal water contractors reliant on Delta exports to tell the state and federal water project operators they need more health and safety water supplies. State and federal operators must merely inform the State Water Board they will export more from the Delta to meet those claims for water. This is a loophole you can [...]

Prop. 1 channels billions of dollars to California’s water needs — but will it hurt or help endangered salmon? By Alistair Bland “Everywhere else in the nation, they are tearing down dams to benefit fish. Only in California are leaders telling us that building dams will benefit fish.” “One of the main arguments for the dams from supporters is that dams will make for more flexibility in releasing water for fish. But obviously, the main reason for having dams is to have better flexibility for providing water for farmers. The environment just becomes justification for it.” Check out the full article here:  http://www.comstocksmag.com/longreads/fish-out-water

In case you missed it… Mercury News Editorial POSTED: 02/24/15, 2:47 PM PST    Original article from San Jose Mercury News website here.  California needs to get serious about protecting the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, one of Silicon Valley's most valuable water sources. The short-term needs of Central Valley farmers are significant. But they pale in comparison with preserving the long-term water quality of the estuary that provides water for two-thirds of the state's residents. California took a significant risk when it waived some environmental protections last year for the Delta in order to pump additional water south to save acres of almond orchards. The results were not pretty. Tom Howard, the executive director of the State Water [...]

Media coverage from February 18-19, featuring Restore the Delta and supporters:   News 10, watch or read: Central Valley farmers are demanding access to more water from the Delta Feb. 19, 2015 News10/KXTV "…But, those who campaign under the banner "Restore the Delta" say for them, it's also about the people. "We're talking about the fish because the fish supply more jobs than this small area of California farming," California Water Impact Network lawyer Michael Jackson said. "It's not a matter of fish versus farmer. In this particular circumstance, it's farmer versus farmer."… … However, people who live near the Delta are asking, "what about us?" Those residents worry that as freshwater leaves the Delta, salt water will come in. The state limits how much [...]