The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be hosting an “informational meeting” for the “California Tribal Community” to discuss an update on Gavin Newsom’s Delta Tunnel (Delta Conveyance) plan onSeptember 11, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Thunder Valley Casino Conference Facility in the Pano Hall, 1200 Athens Avenue, Lincoln, CA 95628.
“This meeting will provide interested Tribal leaders and staff with an update on recent changes in approach for Delta Conveyance and associated environmental planning efforts. Any proposal for approving Delta Conveyance will follow the Federal and State laws including CEQA and AB52 requirements,” according to an announcement from Anecita Agustinez, Tribal Policy Advisor, Executive Division, Department of Water Resources.
“Please extend this invitation to your Tribal network to include Tribal Government Leaders, Environmental Directors, and Cultural Resources staff,” Agustinez said. “Representatives from California Natural Resources Agency, DWR, and the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority (DCA) will be present.”
“If you have any questions about the upcoming meeting, please contact Tim Nelson, Tribal Liaison, DWR, at (916) 651-9547 or by email Tim.Nelson@water.ca.gov. RSVP for attendance is requested by September 5, 2019 to tribalpolicyadvisor@water.ca.gov. I look forward to your participation in this meeting to discuss updates on Delta conveyance,” she concluded.
Tribal leaders, environmental justice advocates, conservationists, fishermen, business owners, family farmers and many others consider the Delta Tunnel — formerly the Delta Tunnels — to be the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history.
After the public comment period at the first negotiating meeting on the Delta Tunnel between DWR and the state water contractors in Sacramento on July 4, Caleeen Sisk, Chief of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, told me about the Tribe’s continued opposition to the Delta Tunnel.
“Our belief is that Mother Earth made the Delta the way it is because it is a fully functional and perfect system. By digging the Delta up, we don’t know how it will end up. You don’t want to ruin a perfect system for an imperfect project. You can’t negotiate a perfect system. Once we dig up the Delta, you can’t return it to its natural state,” stated Chief Sisk.
The Save California Salmon organization also does not support the new one tunnel plan either. “We have pumped enough water from our rivers and Delta,” said Regina Chichizola of Save California Salmon. “We can not afford to take more water, while our fisheries are in crisis. “