Restore The San Francisco Bay Area Delta

For Immediate Release:

February 25, 2026

Contact:
Ashley Castaneda, ashley@restorethedelta.org

Sacramento, Calif. —  Today, a coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates hosted a virtual press conference urging the Delta Stewardship Council to reject the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Certification of Consistency for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, warning that approval would signal a retreat from the Council’s promise to ensure that environmental justice and Tribal consultation are not merely procedural formalities, but central to its decision making. The press conference comes ahead of the Council’s February 26-27 hearings to consider whether the controversial Delta Tunnel project complies with the state’s Delta Plan.

The coalition includes the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, San Francisco Baykeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Little Manila Rising, Friends of the River, California Indian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta.

The coalition filed a formal appeal challenging the DWR’s Certification of Consistency, asserting that the project violates state law and poses an imminent threat to Delta communities, its ecosystem and cultural heritage. In the appeal, the coalition highlights several key concerns, noting that the Tunnel project would: 

• Irreparably harm Tribal Cultural Resources including cultural sites, burial grounds and traditional use areas, while lacking meaningful Tribal consultation;
• Intensify environmental harm by increasing diversions from the Delta, reducing protective water flows for threatened fish species and increasing harmful algal blooms;
• Worsen environmental injustices, placing disproportionate burdens on Delta residents including low-income, Tribal and Latino communities;
• Increase water reliance on the Delta, directly contradicting Delta Plan requirements, and weakening water flow protections

Advocates emphasized that DWR’s self-certification of consistency disregards critical environmental review findings and contradicts the project’s true impacts. The coalition contended that instead of spending tens of billions of dollars on a massive tunnel that would damage ecosystems, California should invest in restorative water solutions including prioritizing local water supplies, strengthening Delta levees, and modernizing existing State Water Project infrastructure.

STATEMENTS FROM COALITION MEMBERS:

Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chair, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians:

“The Delta Plan recognizes the need to protect and support our treasured estuary, and the people whose lives, cultures, and traditions depend on it. My tribe’s ancestral territory includes the greater Delta and as the First Peoples of the region, we feel an inherent responsibility to protect the Delta’s eco-cultural well-being, not just for our people but for all people. Our guardianship responsibility, as well as the Delta Stewardship Council’s, extends beyond us and includes the plant, fish, and animal relatives that rely on these already imperiled waterways to survive. The DCP would take more water out of the Delta in times when the Delta and all the living things connected to it need water the most. The Delta Conveyance Project is fundamentally inconsistent with the Delta Plan and we hope the DSC will uphold its duty to protect it.”

Michelle Rivera, Program Coordinator, California Indian Environmental Alliance:

“The California Indian Environmental Alliance has worked towards implementing Tribal Beneficial Uses for subsistence fishing, cultural uses and water quality – this would translate to the health of plants, aquatic animals, and Tribal members. The Delta Tunnels block any ability to make progress in water quality to support tribal beneficial uses and this project will degrade the water, it will impair habitats and kill off the plant life that lies in the project area. We strongly oppose the construction of the Delta Tunnel and instead support investing in existing systems to upgrade them.”

Gloria Alonso, Environmental Justice Advocacy Coordinator, Little Manila Rising:

“In our urban Delta communities, generations of youth are growing up watching the degradation of our closest waterways—waters their elders once swam in on hot summer days. We ask ourselves, how is this possible? We are witnessing the public processes that, instead of protecting us, can enable this chronic environmental degradation, all while our communities are on the frontlines of climate change. The Delta Conveyance Project is inconsistent with the Delta Plan objectives and policies that seek to protect us. The Delta Stewardship Council has the power to reject this project and safeguard the future of the Delta ecosystem for generations to come.”

Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs, Restore the Delta:

“The proposed Delta Conveyance Project is far from consistent with the Delta Plan, which calls for protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Bay-Delta. Instead of reducing reliance on the Delta, the Tunnel would increase reliance on Delta exports, diverting much needed funds from investments in local water supply solutions. The Tunnel would also devastate the Delta as a place – removing prime farmland from operation, disrupting the fishing, recreation and tourism economies central to the Delta, and expediting the decline of an already imperiled ecosystem. Delta ecosystems, and the tribes and communities that depend upon them, deserve an opportunity to heal and thrive, but that future is incompatible with the Delta Conveyance Project.”

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Amid mounting signs of ecosystem disruption and ongoing damage to the vulnerable Bay-Delta Estuary, local advocates, Tribal leaders, and policymakers are calling for stronger water quality protections and renewed scrutiny of the Delta Tunnel proposal.

Representative Josh Harder has formally urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny the federal permits required to advance the Delta Tunnel, citing concerns about the impacts to Delta waterways, local communities, and the regional economy. At the same time, Tribes and environmental groups are pressing state leaders to safeguard the estuary by rejecting the inequitable and weak Voluntary Agreements included in the latest Bay-Delta Plan update. Restore the Delta’s Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs, emphasized these concerns in a recent interview with ABC 7 San Francisco (13:27). Fresno-based independent radio journalist Vic Bedoian also notes, “Voluntary Agreements won’t change the status quo, and instead will give water exporters a free pass on providing more flow without adequate water quality standards.” 

Concerns about insufficient protections are cemented by evidence that reduced water flows have already contributed to steep declines in key fish populations, including Chinook salmon and Delta Smelt. The Delta ecosystem also faces compounding threats from harmful algal blooms and the spread of invasive golden mussels. Advocates argue that this is a critical time to enact stronger, enforceable protections to restore the health of California’s largest estuary and to protect the communities that depend on it.

News Roundup:

Representative Josh Harder Stands Against Delta Tunnel

• DELTA TUNNEL: Harder Calls on U.S. Army Corps to Reject Permits for $20 Billion Boondoggle. Representative Josh Harder.
• Harder steps up pressure to derail the Delta tunnel. The Manteca Bulletin.  

Local Advocates Critique the Bay-Delta Plan

• Changes Coming to Bay Area Water. ABC 7 San Francisco – watch at 13:27
• Delta Advocates Criticize Bay-Delta Plan. Vic Bedoian. 
• Advocates Say Bay Delta Plan is Deficient. Vic Bedoian. 
• Tribal Nations and the Bay Delta Plan. Vic Bedoian.

Ongoing Threats to the Delta Ecosystem 

• NOTEBOOK FEATURE: State water officials are faced with a once-in-a-generation chance to save California’s salmon. Maven’s Notebook.
• Mussel mania: San Joaquin Valley water agencies gear up to fight invasive mollusk. SJV Water. 
• It’s final: No Delta smelt found in annual survey for 8 years as ecosystem collapses. Daily Kos.    

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State Senator Jerry McNerney announced today the introduction of SB 872, legislation that would direct $300 million annually from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) toward critical levee repairs in the Delta and other subsidence repairs along State Water Project canals. 

Many of the Delta’s essential levees date back to the 1800s and no longer meet the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers safety standards, leaving them vulnerable to failure. Half of the $300 million in annual funds from SB 872 will go towards levee improvement projects, including those that restore habitat.

Restore the Delta supports this important bill to protect the longterm health and vitality of the Delta and the millions of Californians who depend on it. 

“Delta levees have been historically disinvested in, putting the Delta economy and its 4 million county residents at risk. We are proud to support SB 872, because it prioritizes funding for the Delta, investing in our levees in a commitment to protect our communities,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta.

“We are also committed to working to protect the future health and vitality of the Delta and the tribes and communities that depend on it while remaining committed to reducing reliance on the Delta and exploring other strategies for stabilizing California’s water supply.”  

You can read the full release from Senator McNerney’s office here.

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Dear Friends,

The Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) has officially released the hearing notice for the upcoming appeals hearing regarding the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Consistency Determination for the Delta Tunnel. This is a critical moment for community in our fight to protect the Delta.

Click here to read the full official notice, or see below for a snapshot of what it contains:

• Hearing Dates: Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27, 2026
• Start Time: 9:00 AM
• In-person Location: California Natural Resources Agency – 715 P Street, Room 221, Sacramento, CA 95814
• Virtual Option: Join as an attendee online via Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88406543651
  or call in at 1 (669) 900-6833 (webinar ID: 88406543651)

Public Comment Community Training: Mark Your Calendar

Restore the Delta and San Francisco Baykeeper will host a public comment training on February 19, 2026!

Join us to learn:

• What to expect at the Council hearing
• How to participate virtually or attend in person
• And how your voice can make a difference

This is your opportunity to learn what this means for the future of the Delta Tunnel and how to show the Council that the community stands united against the Delta Tunnel!

What is the Hearing For?

The Delta Stewardship Council will have a meeting on February 26 and 27th to hear from the Department of Water Resources (DWR), which has officially submitted a Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan to the Delta Stewardship Council for the Delta Conveyance Project. 

• By submitting the Certification of Consistency, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) is stating that the Delta Tunnel aligns with the “coequal goals” and provides a reliable water supply for California while protecting and restoring the Delta ecosystem.

We know that to be untrue!

• Restore the Delta and our partners have filed a formal appeal to challenge this determination. DWR’s plan ignores the best available science, threatens our water quality, and disregards the people who live and work in the Delta. 

We thank you time and time again for showing up for the estuary we call home. We hope you can join us in making your voice heard!

In solidarity,
– The Restore the Delta team

A group of House members, all representing districts served by powerful water agencies, has urged the Newsom administration to roll back a key environmental rule governing operations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The rule includes critical limits intended to protect the ecological health of the state’s largest and most fragile estuary.

Both the Newsom and Trump administrations have sought to increase water exports this year, easing environmental protections in order to pave the way for large, expensive water infrastructure projects. Environmental, Tribal and fishing organizations have sharply opposed those efforts, warning they would further imperil endangered species such as Chinook salmon and Delta smelt.

Restore the Delta and our partners are now calling on the state to reject proposals to increase pumping and water exports. Weakening or reversing the 25-year-old water quality rule would cause irreversible harm to already threatened habitats, ecosystems, and water supplies that Delta fish and communities depend on.   

“Regulations for water quality are essential to protect communities and ecosystems that live throughout the Bay-Delta. Weakening salinity requirements as requested by these legislators will have a direct and negative impact on Tribes, communities, Delta farms, and the Delta economy. Water quality regulations are meant to protect all beneficial uses and the public trust, not the greed of industry and wealthy agricultural interests,” said Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs at Restore the Delta.

Read the article from E&E News by Politico here.

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