Governor Newsom and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) have been gunning for a new Delta Tunnel to send fresh water from the Bay and its tributaries to profit megafarms and large landowners. But taking more water from the Bay’s watershed through a new $20 billion tunnel would be a disaster.
The additional water diversion would harm communities, coastal fishing, and Tribal cultures. The tunnel would also accelerate the extinction of iconic native fish. Despite these consequences, the governor and DWR are pushing ahead to send more of the Bay’s water to special interests.
The Bay is an estuary, where the unique blending of fresh and salt water once supported rich biological diversity and vibrant fisheries. But California’s bad water management decisions have allowed a dramatic increase in water diversions.
Now, more than half of the fresh water that would flow into San Francisco Bay goes to corporate megafarms and cities mostly outside the Bay’s watershed. If Governor Newsom’s Delta Tunnel proposal becomes a reality, California will divert even more fresh water out of the Bay and Delta.
There’s still time to stop this bad proposal. We recently won a legal injunction against DWR that temporarily stopped construction of the tunnel project because it failed to comply with state law. Now Baykeeper and our partners are challenging DWR’s applications for the permits that are legally required for the tunnel to move forward. And you can help!
Please tell the California Water Board that taking more fresh water out of San Francisco Bay’s tributary rivers is a bad idea.
The Water Board should support more water making it to the Bay so the fish, wildlife, communities, businesses—and all of us who depend on a healthy environment—can thrive.
Tell the Water Board that the Delta Tunnel is a bad idea!