WASHINGTON, D.C.— Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-03), Josh Harder (D-CA-10), Jerry McNerney (D-CA-09), and Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) today issued a statement urging Governor Gavin 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.
Today’s statement follows the introduction by Representative Josh Harder alongside Reps. Garamendi and McNerney on July 21 of an amendment to “stop the Delta Tunnel Project and protect Central Valley water.”
Specifically, the amendment will prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from issuing a Clean Water Act (Section 404) permit for the state of California's Delta Conveyance Project (tunnel) that would export water out of the Delta, according to a press release from Harder’s Office. Representative Harder noted that he has been a staunch opponent of the Delta Tunnel project since he was first elected in 2018.
“I refuse to let politicians in Sacramento get away with a water grab that would take Valley water and ship it downstate,” said Rep. Harder. “It’s time we protect our Valley water so every farmer, rancher, mom and dad has the water they need to support their business and their family. My family has spent generations on the Delta, and I plan on protecting it so my daughter can do the same.”
According to a UC Merced study, last year’s drought cost California farmers more than $1.1 billion and the lost the state nearly 9,000 agricultural jobs, with the brunt of that damage impacting the Central Valley. This year, 60% of the state in “extreme” drought or worse, including the entire Central Valley. “There is no end in sight for California’s drought,” wrote an expert from Bloomberg earlier this year.
In a tweet, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, thanked Congressman Harder for introducing the amendment against the Delta Tunnel in a tweet:
“Thank you Congressman @JoshHarder! Let’s create an emergency drought plan— get serious about solving our water challenges— and work on climate change and water supply!”