Restore The San Francisco Bay Area Delta

Dear friends,

With the conclusion of the 2026 legislative session on August 31, 2026, we are excited to share the many wins you all made possible through your constant engagement over the past several months, including two bills passing to the Governor’s desk and two bad bills defeated. 

This year, AB 2026 and AB 2215 were successfully killed, and SB 872 and AB 2218 successfully passed out of the legislature to the Governor’s desk.

Read more about each bill and how you can help ensure the Governor signs SB 872 and AB 2218 into law!

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

Help 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.

Update on AB 2026: Water diversion: groundwater recharge: permit

AB 2026, a bill that would have created broad new pathways to divert already over-allocated surface water and weakened public and environmental review, was held in Senate Appropriations, effectively killing the bill. 

Restore the Delta supports responsible groundwater recharge, but AB 2026 is the wrong approach. We will continue to advocate for groundwater recharge policies guided by science and administered through the State Water Board’s established regulatory framework, not broad statutory shortcuts that bypass water-rights, fish and wildlife protections, and the public interest.

Update on AB 2215: Water rights: permits: State Water Project

AB 2215, a bill that would have circumvented existing State Water Board Processes for the benefit of the Delta Conveyance Project, was pulled before being heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. 

AB 2215 was an attempt by the State Water Contractors as a legislative solution to DWR’s expired water rights for the State Water Project and the DCP, rather than through proper procedure at the State Water Board. The Delta is a severely over-allocated system. Any new water infrastructure proposing to increase diversions must go through the regulatory process to protect Delta communities, ecosystem, and local fishing and recreation economies.

In a new op-ed published by CalMatters, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director at Restore the Delta, and Gary Mulcahy, government liaison with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, condemn the Newsom Administration’s efforts to advance controversial land and water-use proposals, including California Forever, voluntary agreements and the Delta Tunnel. 

Drawing on their years of experiences throughout Newsom’s governorship, the authors describe a pattern of disingenuous engagement with Tribes and communities, as well as backroom deals that circumvent public input and legislative due process.

They argue that these closed-door deals are being used to advance environmentally and economically harmful boondoggles at the behest of billionaires, lobbyists, and administrative insiders. 

Barbara and Gary contend that Californians have the right to a meaningful say in decisions that will shape their future.

Read the full op-ed here. 

Dear friends,

As the 2026 legislative session comes to an end on August 31, we write to share some important updates. 

Last night AB/SB 113 language was released. The budget language included: 

• $75 million for projects in the Delta that improve existing levees for the purposes of flood protection and climate resiliency; 
• Of that total, $30 million is designated to the Special Projects Program and Flood Control Subventions Program.

Thanks to your calls and emails, the language did NOT include:

• Streamlining measures for any elements of CA Forever’s Shipbuilding project, OR
• Exemptions to fast-track the construction of the Delta Conveyance Project.

We applaud the legislature for pushing back on harmful trailer bills this year. 

But our fight is not over yet. 

We still need Governor Newsom to sign AB 2218 and SB 872 into law.

Support AB 2218

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.

Two Easy Ways You Can Take Action:
1. Call the Governor at (916) 445-2841 urging his signature on support AB 2218.

Please call the Governor’s Office and 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

On January 6, 2026 Senator McNerney introduced SB 872, the Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund. 
 
SB 872, would create a dedicated fund to address two major threats to California’s water supply: aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and sinking State Water Project (SWP) canals. These funds would help protect our existing infrastructure from the threats from a changing climate, protecting drinking water supply, Delta ecosystems, and communities from flood risk. 

We need your help! SB 872 moves to the Governor’s desk for signature, and we need your help to move this bill into law.

Two Easy Ways You Can Take Action:
1. Call the Governor at (916) 445-2841 urging his signature on support SB 872.

Please call the Governor’s Office and 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:

August 26, 2026

Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org

SOLANO, CA — California Forever, a proposed development project in Solano County that would have devastating impacts on the Delta, is once again seeking to circumvent legislative processes to gain preferential treatment. Despite the Solano County Board of Supervisors voting in opposition to California Forever, legislation advancing through the state Legislature and supported by Governor Newsom would create sweeping exemptions from environmental review to move portions of the project forward. 

Today at a press conference, when asked by a reporter about the controversial legislative proposal concerning California Forever, Governor Newsom stated that he would have “voted for it in a nanosecond”.

The bill contains several dangerous provisions, including: 

• The bill contains several dangerous provisions, including: 
• Eliminating environmental review for a large new industrial site in Collinsville for shipbuilding and other undisclosed industrial uses.
• Creating vague exemptions that extend the bill’s stated purpose and could allow the construction of data centers tied to shipbuilding.
• Allowing California Forever to unilaterally end tribal consultation without mitigation measures or agreement from affected Tribes.
• Overriding the vote of the people of Solano County, who have, since 1984, preserved their right to weigh in on land-use changes through the Orderly Growth Initiative.

Restore the Delta has worked successfully with Solano Together and the Solano County Board of Supervisors to reject this harmful proposal in recognition that it is an attempt to bypass due process, public input, and the priorities of local communities and Tribes. Now, Sacramento must stop this trailer bill to ensure that local residents maintain the right to shape economic planning and development, not billionaires.

We successfully convinced the Board of Supervisors to reject this harmful legislation, but we need Sacramento to stop this trailer bill once and for all. 

Take Action Before It’s Too Late!

1. Tell Governor Newsom and California legislators “No backroom deals for California Forever!”

• Governor Newsom – (916) 445-2841
• Speaker Robert Rivas – (916) 319-2029
• Pro Tem Limon – (916) 651-4021
• Assemblymember Wilson – (916) 319-2011
• Senator Cabaldon – (916) 651-4003

Tell them that: 

• You oppose any attempts to streamline the controversial California Forever Project, which would have direct and detrimental impact on Delta communities and ecosystems; and 
• Trailer Bills that circumvent the policy process undermine our democratic process and should not be entertained

2. Sign the NEW petition calling on State Lawmakers to not pursue this legislation.

Dear friends,

Thank you for all your calls, emails, and for turning out for the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday afternoon. Yesterday evening, AB 2218 successfully passed the Senate Floor, and the Solano County Board of Supervisors voted to reject the current CA Forever draft legislation thanks to your support.

But we still need your help.

The California Forever Trailer Bill is still alive in the State Legislature, despite reduced County Support, and we need your help to ensure it does not move forward.

At the same time, AB 2218 now moves to the Governor’s desk for signature, and we need your support to ensure he signs this important bill into law.

Keep reading to learn how you can take action and advocate for the ecosystems and communities we all depend on.

Oppose the California Forever Trailer Bill

California Forever is a proposed development project in Solano County that would have devastating impacts on the Delta. The project proponents are once again trying to circumvent legislative processes to gain preferential treatment. Similar to our Delta Tunnel Trailer Bill fight last year, California Forever proposes sweeping exemptions from environmental review to move parts of its project forward. 
 

The bill language is now available, and includes dangerous provisions, including: 

Eliminating environmental review for a large new industrial site in Collinsville for shipbuilding and other undisclosed industrial uses.

Vague language, extending beyond its stated purpose, allowing the construction of data centers tied to shipbuilding.

Allows California Forever to unilaterally end tribal consultation, without mitigation or agreement

Override the vote of the people of Solano County who have, since 1984, preserved the right to weigh in on land use changes through the Orderly Growth Initiative

We successfully convinced the Board of Supervisors to reject this harmful legislation, but we need Sacramento to stop this trailer bill once and for all. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
 

1. Sign the NEW petition calling on State Lawmakers not to pursue this legislation.

2. Call Senator Cabaldon and Assemblymember Wilson and tell them: 

• You oppose any attempts to streamline the controversial California Forever Project, which would have a direct and detrimental impact on Delta communities and ecosystems; and 
• Trailer Bills that circumvent the policy process undermine our democratic process and should not be entertained

Support AB 2218

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.

We need your help! AB 2218 will We need your help! AB 2218 moves to the Governor’s desk for signature, and we need your help to move this bill into law. be heard on the Senate floor and we need your help getting it past the finish line.

How You Can Take Action:
 

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

Please call the Governor’s Office and 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.

Dear friends,

The 2026 legislative session comes to an end on August 31, and we need your help.

Right now, we are urging legislators to ensure that harmful trailer legislation, such as the California Forever Trailer Bill targeting Solano County, does not move forward, while supporting inclusive and equitable legislation like AB 2218, the Indigenous Water Rights Bill.

Keep reading to learn how you can take action and advocate for the ecosystems and communities we all depend on.

Oppose the California Forever Trailer Bill

California Forever, a proposed development project in Solano County that would have devastating impacts on the Delta, is once again trying to circumvent legislative processes to gain preferential treatment. Similar to our Delta Tunnel Trailer Bill fight last year, California Forever proposes sweeping exemptions from environmental review to move parts of its project forward. 

The exact language of the legislation has not been publicly released, but we have good confirmation that the legislation will: 

• Eliminate environmental review for a large new industrial site in Collinsville for shipbuilding and other undisclosed industrial uses.
• Override the vote of the people of Solano County who have, since 1984, preserved the right to weigh in on land use changes through the Orderly Growth Initiative.

On Tuesday, August 25, the Solano County Board of Supervisors will vote on whether they support or oppose this legislation as it moves through the final week of the State Legislature. 

We need them to say NO.

This will send a sign to Sacramento lawmakers that local decision-makers and residents are against this last-minute legislation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
 

1. Attend the upcoming Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, August 25 to tell our Supervisors not to support legislation. We recommend arriving at 1:00 PM to fill out your comment card prior to the start of the Board Meeting. 

• When: Tuesday, August 25 at 2:00 PM
• Where: 675 Texas St, 1st Floor, Board Chambers, Fairfield, CA 94533
• What: Item 29 of the Agenda, proposing Trailer Bill language to fast-track elements of the CA Forever Project

2. Sign the NEW petition calling on State Lawmakers not to pursue this legislation.

3. Call Sen. Cabaldon and Asm. Wilson and tell them: 

• You oppose any attempts to streamline the controversial California Forever Project, which would have a direct and detrimental impact on Delta communities and ecosystems; and 
• Trailer Bills that circumvent the policy process undermine our democratic process and should not be entertained

Support AB 2218

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.

We need your help! AB 2218 will soon be heard on the Senate floor and we need your help getting it past the finish line.

Two Easy Ways You Can Take Action:
 

1. Call your Senator urging them to support AB 2218. You can find your representative here.

Please call your Senator and tell them: 

• As a constituent, I urge you to support AB 2218 when it comes before the Senate floor.
• 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 your Senator, asking for their support on AB 2218. 

• Click this link to send a pre-written letter urging your Senator to support AB 2218.

For Immediate Release:

August 20, 2026

Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org

SACRAMENTO — Today, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) released 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 was met with immediate backlash from 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—for failing to make meaningful changes to address longstanding Tribal, environmental justice, and ecological concerns.

Among the coalition’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 groups, environmental justice organizations and conservation groups say the VA approach is not scientifically sound and lacks adequate, enforceable protections needed to safeguard threatened fish species and address harmful algal blooms (HABs). The updated plan also fails to establish a comprehensive HAB standard and provides only limited provisions for HAB monitoring.

DTEC is calling on the State Water Board to prioritize strong, science-based, and enforceable protections for Delta water quality and ecosystems. 

“This final update to the Bay-Delta plan once again falls short of meeting the needs of the region,” said Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs at Restore the Delta. “We face an extinction crisis, a health crisis, and a cultural crisis that could and should have been addressed by the Water Board through a comprehensive HABs standard, and flow standards that are actually protective of environmental, cultural, and other beneficial uses of water. The Voluntary Agreements are not only an expensive drain on financial resources, but will only deepen the threats we see and experience on the ground.”

The plan also falls short in adequately recognizing Tribal sovereignty and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge. In particular, DTEC is concerned about the lack of clear and enforceable standards for protecting Tribal Beneficial Uses.

The coalition is also raising concerns about the State Water Board’s process for reviewing and revising the plan. Key Tribal and environmental stakeholders have faced compressed timelines for reviewing extensive technical materials and submitting public comments. Hearings and deadlines have also repeatedly coincided with holidays and active Tribal ceremony dates, creating additional barriers to meaningful participation.

As a result, DTEC will submit a formal request for additional time to review the materials and provide input before the Board moves forward with the plan. 

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Several critical water bills that we are tracking at Restore the Delta were heard in the Legislature this week – here are some key updates. 

SB 872 Passes Through Committee

SB 872, a bill that would create a dedicated fund 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), passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee with unanimous approval. 

We’re excited by the bill’s passage of this hurdle, as it nears final approval by the legislature. Thank you to Senator McNerney for advancing legislation that prioritizes safeguarding California’s water supplies, protecting critical infrastructure, and preparing the state’s water system for future challenges. SB 872 continues to an Assembly floor vote before it returns to its house of origin for reconciliation.

We encourage you to call your Assemblymember, urging their “aye” vote on SB 872.

Please find and call your representative to tell them:

You support advancing legislation that prioritizes safeguarding California’s water supplies, protecting critical infrastructure, and preparing the state’s water system for future challenges.

AB 2218 Passes Through Committee

AB 2218, a bill that seeks to address inequities in California water policy inflicted on California Native tribes, passed the Senate Appropriations Committee AB 2218 continues to a Senate floor vote before it returns to its house of origin for reconciliation.

As California faces growing climate-driven challenges, policymakers and communities increasingly recognize that equitable and sustainable water management must incorporate Tribal rights, traditional ecological knowledge, and Tribal governance. AB 2218 directs state agencies to strengthen consultation with Tribes during water rights investigations and develop policies that address water related harms resulting from state-sanctioned termination, removal, and assimilation of California Native American tribes.

We encourage you to call your Senator, urging their “aye” vote on AB 2218.

Please find and call your representative to tell them:

• Recognizing historical wrongs and considering solutions does not substitute concrete actionable plans to remedy historical inequities on California Tribes. 
• Healthy rivers, resilient fisheries, and thriving landscapes are inseparable from the cultural and subsistence practices that have guided stewardship for generations.

AB 2026 is Held in Appropriations 

In another positive development, AB 2026 was held in Senate Appropriations, effectively killing the bill for this legislative session. AB 2026 is not the narrow groundwater recharge measure its supporters describe. Instead, it creates broad new pathways to divert already-over allocated surface water, weakens public and environmental review, and shifts risk onto rivers, Delta communities, salmon, Tribes, and existing water users.

Restore the Delta supports responsible groundwater recharge, but AB 2026 is the wrong approach. We will continue to advocate for groundwater recharge policies that are guided by science and administered through the State Water Board’s established regulatory framework, not through broad statutory shortcuts that bypass water-rights, fish and wildlife protections, and the public interest.

• Manteca Bulletin: SoCal killed off Owens Lake & Colorado River Delta; the Sacramento-SJ Delta is next
• Sierra Club: Can a Water Renaissance Put California on a Sustainable Path?
• The Guardian: Drought, water rationing and dry rivers: our water crisis is here

A recent editorial by Dennis Wyatt in the Manteca Bulletin criticizes irresponsible policies that have threatened critical water sources and ecosystems, contributing to concerningly low water levels in Mono Lake, Owens Lake, and the Colorado River Delta. Wyatt argues that California’s current approach to water management risks doing the same to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, as tightening restrictions on Colorado River usage lead powerful water users in Southern California to seek more diversions. 

The editorial points to costly proposals like the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), which would cost billions while damaging critical ecosystems and diverting resources away from local water needs. Instead, the author advocates for more pragmatic and sustainable solutions, including  repairing aging levees and investing in local water supplies.

In another recent article, the Sierra Club raises similar concerns, uplifting the Water Renaissance Plan as a roadmap for developing sustainable local water supplies. The article notes that climate change, as was similarly argued in this Guardian opinion piece, and aging infrastructure are making large-scale diversions and imported water increasingly unreliable.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta already faces degraded water quality, declining fish populations, and harmful algal blooms, yet Governor Newsom and state water agencies continue to push forward projects like the DCP.

The sustainable strategies outlined in the Water Renaissance Plan, including stormwater capture, wastewater recycling, and water conservation, could generate between 1.8 to 2 million acre-feet of local water supply by 2045, at a lower cost than the DCP, while providing more resilient water supplies in the face of climate change. 

As Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director at Restore the Delta, states, “To date, recommendations around restoration of the delta—from levee upgrades to use of tribal ecological knowledge, restored flows, and local restoration practices around land management—have taken a backseat in water planning to infrastructure that will not hold up to the climate change scenario.”