Restore the Delta

San Francisco, June 14, 2021 –  On June 8, the SF Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution by Supervisor Aaron Peskin calling on the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to work with the State to protect the Tuolumne River, the source of San Francisco’s water. The resolution was written in response to a […]

Sacramento, CA, Aug. 7, 2020 – Yesterday, the California Department of Water Resources filed a validation complaint to be positioned to sell bonds for the design, planning, and construction of the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel), even though no project plan or environmental impact report has been released to the public for review.Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of […]

Stockton, CA, May 18, 2020 – This March, during the early days of the pandemic, Restore the Delta and local partner organizations sent a letter to urge the Central Valley Regional Flood Protection Board (a California Resources Agency department) to pull from its agenda an approval for a “statement of no objection,” requested by the […]

Stockton, CA, April 23, 2020 – On Earth Day 4/22/20, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed new documents in the State’s ongoing legal action seeking to overturn the Trump Administration’s new biological opinions for federal water pump operations in the San Francisco Bay-Delta. The Trump biological opinions are the result of an administration intent on weakening the protections required […]

STOCKTON, CA, Jan. 21, 2020 – Restore the Delta today filed comments today on the proposed Delta Plan ecosystem restoration amendments currently being considered by the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC). Among the concerns about Delta stewardship are climate impacts, harmful algal blooms, and protecting indigenous and Delta environmental justice communities. Here are a few quotes from […]

September 20, 2018 – Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA 3rd District) recently sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Andrew Wheeler describing the “misrepresentations” present in the Delta Conveyance Finance Authority (DCFA) Letter of Interest (LOI) for the Delta Tunnels project, formally known as the California WaterFix. The Congressman’s letter asserts that the WaterFix […]

July 11, 2018 – Yesterday, environmental and public interest groups including Restore the Delta, Food and Water Watch California, Sierra Club Los Angeles Chapter, SEIU 721, S.E.E., the Center for Food and Safety, Los Angeles area pastors, and dozens of local Los Angeles County residents delivered another punch of opposing public comments to the Metropolitan […]

July 9, 2018 – Restore the Delta’s recent PRA request documents from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) reveal that Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) and MWD consulted Ken Calvert’s Legislative Aide, Ian Foley, on the language of the Valadao Rider—a supplemental provision to the House Appropriations spending bill that would exempt the […]

April 19, 2018 – The U.S. Geological Survey recently released a Hayward Earthquake Scenario that reminds Bay Area residents and businesses to prepare for “the big one” and stresses the need for improving local infrastructure to protect San Francisco Bay Area water supplies in the event of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on the Hayward Fault. CA […]

STOCKTON, Feb. 22, 2018 – Documents acquired by Restore the Delta from a recent a public records act request to Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) confirm that newly appointed California Department of Water Resources Director (DWR) Karla Nemeth was a MWD employee from 2009 to 2014, earning over $900,000 in total compensation.  During […]

Feb. 13, 2018 – Yesterday, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) General Manager Jeff Kightlinger reported to MWD Board Members on the Water Planning and Stewardship Committee that the new phased-in tunnels project would require a $5.1 billion contribution and that MWD would receive the same amount of water with operation of the first […]

Dec. 7, 2017 – Officials for CA WaterFix Industry Day announced that while not all funding is available for WaterFix presently, that the first $1 billion for four contracts will be made public today, December 7, 2017. The Design Construction Enterprise (a CA WaterFix unit staffed by Metropolitan Water District employees and associates embedded in […]

Oct. 25, 2017 – This morning, Ellen Knickmeyer of the Associated Press reported that the Trump administration does not support Governor Brown’s Delta Tunnels (CA WaterFix) project. Knickmeyer reported that the spokesman for the U.S. Interior Department, Russell Newell wrote in an email, “The Trump administration did not fund the project and chose to not move forward with it.” […]

STOCKTON, CA, Oct. 18, 2017 – Executive Director of Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla released the following statement regarding Santa Clara Valley Water District’s California WaterFix vote: “Yesterday afternoon, Santa Clara Valley Water District agreed to moving forward with a project named California WaterFix, yet with funding capped at $600 million in 2017 dollars (minus interest), and […]

FRESNO, Calif. Sept. 19, 2017— Restore the Delta issued an official statement on Westlands Water District’s vote on the California WaterFix. Executive Director of Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said: “Today is a very good day for California. By rejecting California WaterFix, the Westlands Water District has dealt a blow to the project. There are […]

Aug. 14, 2017 – Restore the Delta issued a formal response to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California third and final white paper on the Delta Tunnels. The response illuminates the gaping holes in MWD’s financial analysis on various CA WaterFix costs. Executive Director of Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said: “MWD’s failure to […]

Aug. 9, 2017 – Today, Restore the Delta submitted a formal letter regarding the risks of the CA WaterFix proposal to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The comment letter outlined various fiscal, environmental, and supply reliability risks of the project for not only Southern California, but the entire state. Policy Analyst for Restore the Delta, […]

SACRAMENTO, CA, June 13, 2017 – In an email forwarded to Delta activist groups last week, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California general manager Jeffrey Kightlinger asked dozens of member agencies to lobby the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) because, “The final permit in the California WaterFix process will be for the Department of Water Resources […]

SACRAMENTO, CA, May 12, 2017 – Governor Brown’s May revision of the California Budget released Thursday slashed over $100 million in funds designated for drought response. With the drought officially declared “over” in April, the remaining $63 million intended for the state’s drought package will go to CalFire. The San Jose Mercury News reported on […]