Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attempt to fast-track his proposal for a 45-mile tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta failed to pass the Legislature before its deadline overnight Tuesday.
The Newsom administration’s tunnel plan aims to send more Northern California water south and prop up the State Water Project as climate change threatens water supplies. Some water agencies are supportive of the plan, along with agricultural and business groups.
After the trailer bill failed to pass before midnight, the fate of the tunnel plan is now in the hands of the State Water Resources Control Board, which is holding a monthslong hearing on the project’s viability and the delicate balance of water rights. That hearing, which is set to conclude next month but may be extended, will produce an opinion from the hearing officer as early as 2026 and a decision from the board members on whether to oppose the tunnel or side with Newsom.
Read the Full ArticleSource: KQED