Central Valley Project
Credit: USBR

Delta-area Representatives Support Delta Communities as the State of California Pursues Destructive Tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

August 4, 2022 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Wednesday, Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-03), Josh Harder (D-CA-10), Jerry McNerney (D-CA-09), and Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) issued the following statement urging Governor Newsom to cancel the planned construction of the tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in response to the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Report by the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) for the Delta Conveyance Project: 

“When Governor Newsom announced on May 2, 2019, that the Delta Tunnel Project would be downsized from two tunnels to one our message was clear: one down, one to go,” the Representatives said.  

“The fact remains that any tunnel construction under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta would be a misguided, multi-billion-dollar boondoggle that won’t create any new water for California but will cause irreversible damage to the Delta. As federal Representatives of the Bay-Delta region, we implore Governor Newsom in the strongest possible terms to listen to the voice of the Delta counties and reconsider this project that would devastate the Delta communities and ecosystem,” the Representatives continued.  

“California must invest in a water solution for all of California that prioritizes recycling, conservation, and the creation of new storage systems instead of a plan that will destroy the Delta. We will continue to work tirelessly to advance solutions that will improve California’s water supply and infrastructure while protecting the Delta and its historic communities,” the Representatives concluded.  

The State’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project is available here. 

The Delta Counties Coalition’s statement in response is available here. 
Source: Congressman John Garamendi