Restore The San Francisco Bay Area Delta

Dear friends, 

Restore the Delta’s Delta Science Program officially wrapped up its summer water quality monitoring at the end of September. Since 2022, our water quality monitoring program includes:

• Recording water temperatures and weather conditions
• Testing for harmful algal blooms (HABs)
• Assessing salinity levels

New this year, in collaboration with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Region 5 of the State Water Board), we added E. coli collection and sampling to our regular monitoring routine. With the introduction of golden mussels into the Delta via Rough and Ready Island and the added E. coli sampling, we have a few new topics to cover, and we want to help break them down.

1. First off, let’s talk about HABs and what our monitoring teams observed in the field.

A bit of positive news for the community: We didn’t see much bloom activity at all this summer; otherwise, you would’ve heard from us earlier this summer through social media to exercise caution while recreating. While there were small traces of blooms, which looked like small flakes in the water at Buckley Cove in Stockton, the blooms posed no threat to recreation due to the low quantities and lack of toxin concern. The lack of HABs may have come as a surprise to many, given that we experienced very hot periods this summer, and HABs thrive in warm water. However, California did experience a wet water year, which kept consistent flows in the San Joaquin River during the hottest periods, according to the few flow monitors near Stockton on the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC). We hope to see this trend continue, but there are concerns with the introduction of golden mussels and a potential interaction with HABs proliferation.

2. Golden mussels were first detected in the Delta in October of 2024 at Rough and Ready Island, near Stockton; learn more about them from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife here.

Within the 2 years that golden mussels were introduced into the Delta, they have spread across California’s water system, with potential to impact drinking water systems across the state. In the field this year, our team observed that the waterways are very clear, so much so that our team was able to see the bottom of the water bodies clearly, which we haven’t been able to do before. What might this have to do with golden mussels? Well, golden mussels are filter feeders, and they have been spotted in large clusters around a majority of the sites that RTD’s monitoring team has been sampling. Although filtering can seem like a great thing because clear water must mean the water is clean, that’s not necessarily the case. One problem is that as golden mussels filter, they release nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, which HABs thrive on (Zhang et al. 2024). There’s also the concern of how this clearer water may affect wildlife species within the different water columns – a certain level of turbidity is important for species survival.  Golden mussels are a problem that we don’t fully understand yet, which is why we are glad that Assembly Member Rhodesia Ransom was able to secure 6 million dollars for management and response from State Water agencies.

3. Sampling E. coli levels throughout the Delta this summer.

Overall, much of Stockton fell below the recreational E. coli threshold, but throughout different times of the season, two sites became areas of concern. For one week in June, the Mormon Slough had levels that tripled the recreational-concern threshold of 320 MPN (MPN, the most probable number, is a measure for E. coli). The main concern we saw was at the end of Yosemite Lake on the Smith Canal, at American Legion Park, where many people fish.  The E. coli levels were at their worst, recorded at 8 times the 320 MPN threshold at one point. These levels eventually declined to 2-4 times the threshold in May through July. The levels continued to fluctuate, dropping below recreational levels before spiking to 8 times the threshold again in mid-September. These numbers were a cause for concern, especially for those fishing at American Legion Park and pets that roam the surrounding neighborhood.

Our team would like to acknowledge that this work does not get done without the support we receive. The collaboration with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board on both the HABs and E. coli testing supplies was pivotal in helping us to maintain our testing.  

We also couldn’t have gotten this work done without the help of our Climate Water Advocates, who quickly adapted to the new monitoring procedures. Although Summer has come to an end, we hope to continue addressing water quality issues with our monitoring programs and to keep our Delta communities informed.

• View this testing season’s recorded E. coli data here.
• Stay up to date with statewide HABs reporting, including the data we have collected, available here.

References: 

Zhang, J., Xu, M., & Yang, Y. (2024). Assessing the effects of environmental factors on filtration rate of golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei). Ecological Indicators, 158, 111544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.111544

Governor Newsom recently vetoed SB 872, the Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund, missing a critical opportunity to protect the state’s water resources and Delta communities..

The Governor’s veto message pointed to more than $170 million allocated for repairing levees, aqueducts, canals and other projects, calling SB 872 “unnecessary”, but the state’s own data emphasizes the gaps in funding urgently needed to protect the Delta estuary.

Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs at Restore the Delta, told CBS News, “The funding in the budget, while incredible and much needed, is sort of a drop in the bucket compared to what overall repairs are needed.”

In a CalMatters piece, Rachel Becker highlights the estimated $3.3 billion cost needed to repair the 1,100 miles of federal and non-federal levees. According to the Delta Stewardship Council, without these improvements, “$22 billion in assets and over $5 billion in annual economic activity” are at risk of flooding by 2085.

The bill would have also funded necessary land subsidence repairs to the State Water Project. CalMatters cites a state report that found subsidence could cut water deliveries by almost 90% in the next 17 years, while the California Department of Water Resources estimates that fixing the damage to the State Water Project’s infrastructure could cost nearly $4 billion.

Coverage in the Lodi News similarly highlights how the Governor’s veto represents yet another example of prioritizing the Delta Conveyance Project over preventing emergencies and protecting Delta ecosystems and communities. 

SB 872 garnered unanimous support in the Legislature, bringing together Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups, and water interests to protect critical water infrastructure. 

As Restore the Delta’s Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said, “Not only did Governor Newsom veto a much needed bill to bring Delta levees to the necessary standards to deal with climate change, he vetoed funding for fixing existing conveyance for the State Water Project.” 

News Roundup:

• Newsom vetoes Delta levees bill as El Niño winter looms. CalMatters.
• Newsom vetoes bill aimed at funding Sacramento-San Joaquin delta levee repairs, water infrastructure. CBS News. 
• Levees, vetoed legislation and what comes next: Newsom rejects funding bill as both sides debate best path forward. The Lodi News.  
• Newsom vetoes bill intended to shore up Delta levees. The Lodi News.
• Newsom rejects long-range water solution for Delta, aqueduct. The Manteca Bulletin.
• Newsom vetoes Delta levees bill as El Niño winter looms. News from the States.
• As El Niño approaches, Newsom vetos bill aimed at protecting California levees from flooding. Planetizen News.
• Gov. Newsom Vetoes Important California Water Bill, Despite Unanimous Passage by Legislature. California Globe.
• Solano-supported Delta levee repair legislation vetoed. The Daily Republic.
• Newsom vetoes historic Delta levees bill as El Niño winter looms. The Stockton Record.

California state agencies used a confidentiality agreement to keep some communications regarding the scientific basis for the updated Bay-Delta Plan hidden from public knowledge, as revealed by Ashley Zavala on KCRA’s CA Politics 360 show.

The agreement between the State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources, and Department of Fish and Wildlife was discovered by Baykeeper Managing Attorney Eric Buescher through a California Public Records Act request. 

“It kept all of those communications between those agencies secret, which basically means it kept the science about water quality and fish biology and the impacts to native fish and wildlife that depend on them secret and out of the public’s eyes,” said Buescher. 

Restore the Delta’s Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla also shared similar concerns over the lack of transparency, saying, “If we don’t have the basis of the science and the public can’t see that, we can’t have confidence in the decisions being made and the outcomes.” The Legislative Analyst’s Office has also requested greater transparency around the Voluntary Agreements, emphasizing the importance of making related data and reports available to the public.

With the State Water Resources Control Board scheduled to vote on the updated Bay-Delta Plan on October 28-29, the need for transparency, particularly around the science behind decisions at our State agencies, is critical for public confidence and fair processes. 

See the full coverage here.

• Native tribes denied greater say in water decisions with Newsom veto
• Newsom Vetoes Sacred Sites and Tribal Water Bills Despite Overwhelming Votes
• Tribal advocates say Newsom apologized for state history, then vetoed their bills
• Governor Newsom Ignores Water-Sector Consensus and Fails to Make Water Affordable in California 

Newsom’s final legislative session has ended with broken promises, and sweeping vetoes of critical legislation. On September 30th, Governor Newsom vetoed AB 2218, Water policy: California Native American tribes. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra and co-sponsored by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok and the Karuk Tribe, passed both chambers of the California Legislature with unanimous support: 28-0 in the Senate and 56-0 in the Assembly. Despite Newsom’s work with tribes on stewardship and landback initiatives, this decision highlights the State’s inability to translate words into actionable change.

In his veto message, Governor Newsom reiterated his administration’s recognition of “the historical harms perpetrated against Native peoples and tribal governments in California.” He attempts to rationalize this veto and continuing trend of leaving tribes out of important water decisions, arguing that passing this bill would undermine water policies addressing climate change, create duplicate work, and potentially disrupt important regulations, policies, permits, and grant criteria moving forward.

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba responded directly to this decision, stating, “Newsom’s veto of AB 2218 is a backhanded betrayal of California Tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation. For nearly 200 years, California has made decisions about our waters without us, disregarding the tribes whose cultures, communities and lifeways depend on them. Newsom had instead aligned with ‘special water interests that profit from extractive and exploitive water management.’” 

The Los Angeles Times and Sacramento Bee reported on the veto, depicting the long history of exclusion in California, and the importance of AB 2218 in providing Tribes a greater role in decisions affecting California water resources. Karuk Tribe Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery said tribes “need to be at the table when decisions are being made,” and the bill was an important step toward changing that. The article also highlights California’s troubled water history dating back to the Gold Rush, when Tribes were forcibly removed from their lands and left without meaningful rights to the water resources they depended on. 

In a continuing trend of vetoing important legislation, the Community Water Center’s bill, SB 1125: Water Rate Assistance Program, was another casualty of Governor Newsom’s September 30th legislative decisions. The groundbreaking legislation would have established a statewide Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Program, the first of its kind in the nation. Authored by Senator Caroline Menjivar, the bill would have addressed water affordability and helped ensure that families across California have access to safe and affordable water.

Read more about each bill and the Governor’s vetoes below:

• Native tribes denied greater say in water decisions with Newsom veto
• Newsom Vetoes Sacred Sites and Tribal Water Bills Despite Overwhelming Votes
• Tribal advocates say Newsom apologized for state history, then vetoed their bills
• Governor Newsom Ignores Water-Sector Consensus and Fails to Make Water Affordable in California 

Restore the Delta’s Delta Science Program, led by Delta Science Program Manager Spencer Fern, received the Outstanding Environmental Projects Award on behalf of the Friends of the San Francisco Estuary Board. 

The award, presented at this year’s Bay-Delta Science Conference, recognized the program’s work under this year’s theme, “The Opportunity of Change: Building and Being the Future Together.”

In the summer of 2021, Restore the Delta learned of a strong, unpleasant odor coming from the downtown waterfront in Stockton, CA. The water was dark, green, and filled with Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), with no signs warning the public of their toxicity or an active public monitoring procedure in place.

With training from San Francisco Baykeeper and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, our team spent that summer testing local Delta waterways for HABs while sharing our findings on social media to raise public awareness.

That work five years ago, became the foundation for what is now known as our Climate Water Advocates internship, a program that continues to train the next generation to monitor HABs throughout the Delta’s hottest months.

We are incredibly proud to see this work recognized and will continue to prioritize science-based water quality management for Delta communities, Tribes, and the entire Delta estuary. 

For Immediate Release:

September 28, 2026

Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org

SACRAMENTO —  Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed SB 872, a key water protection bill that would have dedicated funding to address two major threats to California’s water supply: aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and sinking canals in the State Water Project (SWP). The bill passed the Legislature unanimously. 

SB 872 was supported by more than 60 organizations and brought together Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups including Restore the Delta, and water interests around the need to protect critical water infrastructure and the state’s primary water source. 

In his veto message, Governor Newsom cited budget constraints and called the legislation “unnecessary”. The veto comes as the state considers other major, and significantly more expensive, water investments including the Fair Ranch deal, a voluntary agreement supported by Newsom that is expected to cost approximately $1 billion. 

Delta advocates are criticizing the veto, arguing that the decision leaves critical infrastructure vulnerable and fails to adequately prepare California’s water system for future challenges. They are also questioning the Governor’s priorities in water planning. 

“Not only did Governor Newsom veto a much needed bill to bring Delta levees to the necessary standards to deal with climate change, he vetoed funding for fixing existing conveyance for the State Water Project. Why? His never-ending quest for the Delta Conveyance Project. It is his white whale. And he has set California water infrastructure on a course for complete failure as a result of his wrongful quest,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director at Restore the Delta.

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Dear friends,

On August 19, 2026, the Water Board released a final update to the Bay-Delta Plan, a critical rulemaking for ensuring: water quality, river flows and ecosystem protections for the state’s largest and most endangered estuary and watershed. Included in the final draft is the Board’s consideration of the inequitable and deceptive Voluntary Agreements. 

The inequitable and scientifically inadequate Voluntary Agreements (VAs) face potential failure as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the massive Westlands Water District indicated that they will not participate in the VAs if the State Water Board approves the updated San Francisco Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. 

The State Water Board will soon be voting on whether to adopt the final draft of the Bay-Delta Plan and VAs.

We need your help to ensure they make the right decision! 

Join us on October 28 and/or 29 to raise your voice in opposition to the final draft plan. 

This is your final opportunity to voice opposition to the plan, which would be devastating to Tribes, environmental justice communities, and the Bay-Delta ecosystem.

Water Board Public Notice: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/CAWRCB/2026/08/20/file_attachments/3753028/notice-2026finaldrftbdp.pdf

You’re Invited: Bay-Delta Plan Speaker Training:
 

The Bay Delta Flows Coalition and  Save CA Salmon are hosting a virtual speaker training session on October 21, 2026. 

We will cover what to expect at the October Board hearings, how to provide public comment, and our analysis of the Bay-Delta Plan and how it will impact Delta communities, and an update on Sites Reservoir proceedings and the upcoming Water Board vote in November.

• Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
• Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Location: Online via Zoom
• Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AhASthLDT6m9UX1u8ZqTxQ#/registration

How You Can Participate:

The State Water Board will be voting on whether to adopt the final Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements. This is your final opportunity to voice opposition to the plan, which would be devastating to Tribes, environmental justice communities, and the Bay-Delta ecosystem.

• When: October 28-29, 2026 and continuing on October 30, 2026, if necessary
• Time: Hearing starts at 9:00 am each day
• In-Person Location: Joe Serna Jr. CalEPA Building, Coastal Hearing Room 
• Address: 1001 I Street, Second Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814

How To Make A Public Comment:

• If you’d like to make a public comment, in person or virtually, please fill out a Speaker Card.
• Virtual Speaking Option: If you plan to participate virtually and would like to speak, please complete a Speaker Card. The Clerk to the Board will email you one business day before the hearing with the information needed to join the meeting.

Public comments are limited to 3 minutes. You can use our Bay-Delta Plan One-Pager to help draft a public comment explaining how the proposed final Bay-Delta Plan would negatively impact your family and community, business or organization, environment, and economic interests. 

Have You Commented In The Past?

The final Phase 2 report of the Sacramento/Delta Updates to the Bay-Delta Plan is posted here. 

If you previously commented and are interested in seeing responses to your comment :

• Click here and search your first and last name
• After finding it, record your “Letter number” on the left side column
• Then click here and scroll down to “Volume 3: Responses to Comments” 
• Continue scrolling down to “4. Responses to Comments Tables”
• Lastly, click on the indexed link that includes your letter number

Dear friends,

The 2026 legislative session concluded on August 31, and the next important deadline is quickly approaching. Governor Newsom now has until Wednesday, September 30, to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature.

With AB 2218 and SB 872 now on the Governor’s desk, we need your help urging the Governor to sign both bills into law.

Read more about each bill below and learn how you can call or write the Governor’s office today to voice your support forAB 2218 and SB 872!

Help Support SB 872: The Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund

SB 872, a bill designed to safeguard California’s water supply for decades to come, has been unanimously approved by the Legislature. 

The bill brings together Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups including Restore the Delta, and water interests to protect the state’s primary water source.

If signed into law by Governor Newsom, SB 872 would address two major threats to California’s water supply: aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and sinking canals in the State Water Project (SWP). Many Delta levees are at risk of failure, raising the threat of catastrophic flooding and ecosystem damage, while sinking land is jeopardizing SWP canals and reliable water deliveries.

Now that SB 872 has moved to the Governor’s desk for signature, we need your help to sign this bill into law!

Two Easy Ways You Can Take Action:

1. Call the Governor at (916) 445-2841, urging his signature on SB 872.

When calling the Governor’s Office, please tell them: 

• As a constituent, I urge you to sign SB 872 into law.
• You support advancing legislation that prioritizes safeguarding California’s water supplies, protecting critical infrastructure, and preparing the state’s water system for future challenges.

2. Alternatively, you can also write to the Governor’s Office, asking for their support on SB 872. 

• Click this link to send a comment urging the Governor’s Signature on SB 872.

Support AB 2218: Water policy: California Native American tribes

On February 19, 2026, Assemblymember Kalra introduced AB 2218, the Indigenous Water Rights Bill sponsored by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and the Karuk Tribe. 

AB 2218 would establish a clear statewide policy directive acknowledging and seeking to remedy the inequities inflicted upon Tribes in California through historical state-sanctioned acts of termination, removal, and forced assimilation.

The bill directs relevant state agencies, including the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Board, to incorporate this policy into water rights decisions, regulatory actions, permitting, and grantmaking to address identified inequities. Recognizing historic harms and directing state agencies to center Tribal equity in water policy is not simply a symbolic act; it is a pathway toward stronger relationships, more inclusive decision-making, and better outcomes for the ecosystems we all depend on.

Now that AB 2218 has moved to the Governor’s desk for signature, we need your help to sign this bill into law!

Two Easy Ways You Can Take Action:

1. Call the Governor at (916) 445-2841 urging his signature on AB 2218.

When calling the Governor’s Office, please tell them: 

• As a constituent, I urge you to sign AB 2218 into law.
• AB 2218 supports the State’s progress towards equitable water management.
• AB 2218 is an important step toward addressing inequities affecting California Native American Tribes in state water policy and ensuring Tribal interests are meaningfully considered in decisions affecting water.

2. Alternatively, you can also write to the Governor’s Office, asking for their support on AB 2218. 

• Click this link to send a comment urging the Governor’s Signature on AB 2218.

Support SB 872: The Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund

SB 872, a bill designed to safeguard California’s water supply for decades to come, has been unanimously approved by the Legislature. 

The bill brings together Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups including Restore the Delta, and water interests to protect the state’s primary water source.

If signed into law by Governor Newsom, SB 872 would address two major threats to California’s water supply: aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and sinking canals in the State Water Project (SWP). Many Delta levees are at risk of failure, raising the threat of catastrophic flooding and ecosystem damage, while sinking land is jeopardizing SWP canals and reliable water deliveries.

Now that SB 872 has moved to the Governor’s desk for signature, we need your help to sign this bill into law!

Two Easy Ways You Can Take Action:

1. Call the Governor at (916) 445-2841, urging his signature on SB 872.

When calling the Governor’s Office, please tell them: 

• As a constituent, I urge you to sign SB 872 into law.
• You support advancing legislation that prioritizes safeguarding California’s water supplies, protecting critical infrastructure, and preparing the state’s water system for future challenges.

2. Alternatively, you can also write to the Governor’s Office, asking for their support on SB 872. 

• Click this link to send a comment urging the Governor’s Signature on SB 872.

For Immediate Release:

September 21, 2026

Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org

SACRAMENTO — Today, the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC)—consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta— submitted comments on the updated San Francisco Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (“Bay-Delta Plan”), a critical policy guiding water quality, river flows, and ecosystem protections for the state’s largest and most fragile estuary. 

The updated plan drew immediate opposition from the coalition for failing to make meaningful changes to address longstanding Tribal, environmental justice, and ecological concerns. 

“Protection of Tribal sovereignty and beneficial water uses cannot be achieved through approval of voluntary agreements that excluded tribes. This is the Board’s final opportunity to reverse course and do the right thing,” said Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

Among DTEC’s central concerns is the plan’s reliance on Voluntary Agreements (VAs), privately negotiated deals allowing powerful water districts to offer limited flow commitments and funding in exchange for exemptions from stronger, enforceable regulatory requirements. 

Tribal, environmental justice, and conservation groups have raised concerns that the VA approach is not scientifically sound and does not provide enforceable protections needed to safeguard Delta ecosystems and communities. The framework has also faced growing uncertainty, with the Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands Water District threatening to withdraw.

“The update to the Bay-Delta Plan comes at one of the most crucial moments for our fragile Bay-Delta estuary, and yet the Plan once again fails to meet the moment. This latest iteration again seeks to move forward the inequitable and environmentally damaging voluntary agreements, which will only further ecosystem decline, harming communities, tribes, Delta economies, and fishing communities,” said Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs at Restore the Delta. “Swapping voluntary agreements for a regulatory backstop with minimum flow requirements misses the point – flows are habitat, and without adequate flows, fish populations will continue to decline, harmful algal blooms will proliferate, and our communities will suffer.” 

DTEC maintains that the State Water Board has failed to remedy deficiencies previously identified in the draft Plan. Among DTEC’s chief concerns are:

• Procedural violations, including advancing the updated plan while a federal Title VI investigation into discriminatory water management practices remains open.
• Discriminatory effects, including the omission of enforceable harmful algal bloom standards and meaningful instream flow requirements that could result in unlawful discriminatory effects on Tribes and communities of color.
• Failure to analyze the project as a whole and to base the environmental analysis on a stable project description, including how voluntary agreements would operate and the potential influence of major infrastructure operations that have not been accounted for.
• Failure to conduct government to government Tribal consultation required under AB 52.
• Public trust violations and unreasonable timelines that undermine meaningful public participation and effective protection of Delta resources. 

“After taking thirty years to update the Bay Delta Plan, the State Water Resources Control Board’s latest update will only further devastate fish populations, increase environmental damage, and cater to elite special interests through the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (VAs) proposals. This is not a plan that protects beneficial uses for all Californians, it is a plan that kowtows to political pressure and elite special interests,” said Gary Mulcahy, Government Liaison with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. 

“The final update to the Bay-Delta Plan is another opportunity for the water board to honor public trust and stand for the protection of our natural resources against the interest of private governing bodies,” said Gloria Alonso Cruz, Environmental Justice Advocacy Coordinator with Little Manila Rising. “The VAs perpetuate the systemic inequities manifested across our landscapes, inequities that those with the least access to clean and safe waterways are too familiar with. The public must urge the board to renounce the VAs and instead pursue science-based solutions that demonstrate a real commitment to environmental justice over private interests.”

The State Water Board is scheduled to consider adoption of the updated Bay-Delta Plan at a hearing on October 28-29. Learn how you can make a public comment.

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