Restore
-
CA Legislature to Audit CA “WaterFix” Funding
Sacramento – Today, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted to launch an audit into funding for the California WaterFix (Delta Tunnels) as requested by Assemblymember Susan Eggman and Senator Lois Wolk.
-
Action Alert: UC Davis Courses on the Delta
UC Davis Extension is holding a class to educate Sacramento citizens on the Delta with an agenda of selling the public on the tunnels. We hope some of you can register for this class and share your knowledge of how this project will destroy the Delta. We will be busy at that time at the State Water Board.
-
ICYMI: Delta Tunnels News from Restore the Delta
Westlands Water District Credit Rating Upgraded to "Negative"Fitch Ratings Service notes: Drainage Settlement Could Pressure DistrictThe Negative rating stems from the fact that Westlands/San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority will acquire hundreds of millions of dollars of new debt if their settlement with the Federal government is authorized by Congress.
-
CANCELLED: Delta Tunnels Protest in Front of Sac Bee 7/13
Dear Restore the Delta friends, In light of recent events, Restore the Delta is cancelling its scheduled protest rally for Wednesday, July 13th in Sacramento. We wish all Californians peace.Barbara Barrigan-ParrillaExecutive Director, Restore the Delta
-
Santa Clara Valley Water District Taxpayers Protest Hidden Taxes Funding Delta Tunnels Planning
Today, ratepayers from Santa Clara Valley Water District questioned unfair, and possibly illegal, fees that have emerged in documents recovered under the Public Records Act. The documents reveal an elaborate money transfer mechanism set up years ago that is funding planning for the controversial Delta Tunnels project. Fees that taxpayers and ratepayers never approved.
-
8 Reasons We Don’t Support the Garamendi/Feinstein Bills
As our readers are well aware Senator Dianne Feinstein’s drought bill (SB 2533) now has a companion bill in the House of Representatives. Congressman John Garamendi introduced HR 5247 this week which completely mirrors Senator Feinstein’s legislation. What our readers do not know is that Congressman Garamendi has attempted a full court press on Restore the Delta to support this legislation beginning back in February.
-
Federal and State Taxes to Fund the Delta Tunnels: Restore the Delta seeks a full accounting of financial plan and state audit
Stockton, CA — Citing a lack of state or federal legislative authorization, Restore the Delta today sent a detailed request under the California Public Records Act to a half dozen public agencies, including the California Department of Water Resources seeking details about the funding plan for the proposed Delta Tunnels (CA WaterFix).
-
Santa Clara Valley Water District to Add Charge for Delta Tunnels Rates to increase without a public vote
San Jose, CA - Attendees at a recent public meeting in Gilroy were surprised to learn that a new fee will be soon be added to their groundwater bills to support the Cal WaterFix, also known as the Delta
-
-
Delta Tunnels/WaterFix Broken and in Chaos
Today petitioners for a “Change in the Point of Diversion” permit before the California State Water Resources Control Board, have requested a second delay in the process, this time for an additional 60 days.
-
DELTA TUNNELS State Water Contractor Launch Legal Attack on State Water Board Officers Restore the Delta Response
Stockton, CA - On Monday, March 21, 2016 the San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority one of the water districts placed on negative credit watch last week due to its bond guarantor, Westlands Water District, engaging in a little Enron accounting, now seeks to disqualify State Water Resources Control Board officers from overseeing the permit process for the Delta Tunnels. Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director, Restore the Delta, issued the following response:
-
Decision Time for California Governor's Big Water Project
People try to catch fish along the Sacramento River in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, near Courtland, Calif., last month.
-
Event Alert: Stop the Tunnels in Livermore, this Wednesday!
Dear Friends of Restore the Delta,The Zone 7 Water Agency is scheduled to vote to support the Delta tunnels project at a public meeting this Wednesday. The vote centers around continued financial support. They need to hear from people who oppose the Delta Tunnels project! It is important for urban ratepayers and all of California to oppose this project.Zone 7 sells treated water primarily to four retail water agencies – the California Water Service Company, the cities of Livermore and Pleasanton, and the Dublin San Ramon Services District. Not only will the project result in higher water rates for residents being served by these water districts, but as a State Water Project contractor it is likely that they will also use parcel/property taxes to pay for the project, even though you will not receive any additional water. In addition, Zone 7 Water Agency's calculations are based on a 40% contribution from the Westlands Water District to the project's total costs. However, Westlands officials have recently stated in public meetings and to the press that they are not moving forward with any further financial contributions. In addition, they are in hot water with the SEC for "Enron" style accounting. That means that smaller water agencies, like Zone 7, will have to come up with the additional funding.What: Zone 7 Water Agency Board Meeting, Citizens Forum (will occur at the beginning of the meeting)Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2016Location: 100 N. Canyons Parkway, LivermoreTime: 7:00 pmAnd/or email comments to: BoardofDirectors@zone7water.comHere is a statement for you to use as a template, or to send to them as an email. Thank you, Barbara, Restore the Delta******************************************************************************Dear Zone 7 Water Agency Board Members,Instead of spending more money on planning and supporting the Delta tunnels, which will not meet standards under the Clean Water Act or the Endangered Species Act for protection of the Delta, it would be much more cost-effective for Zone 7 Water Agency to continue to pursue the good conservation measures that are currently at work, and to draw available water from the Delta during wet periods. As a water rate payer and property tax payer, I do not want to pay money for a project that will not create additional water supply. I do not want to pay money for a project so that Zone 7 Water Agency moves into the water resale business. In addition, seeing that Westlands Water District officials are facing an SEC fine for "Enron" style accounting and are saying in public meetings and to the press that they are not contributing their 40% share to the total cost of the project, Zone 7 will be on the hook for significantly more money as the years go by. And for what? To help State Water Project contractors in the Southern part of the state?As part of the Bay-Delta region, it makes more sense for Zone 7 Water Agency to align itself with other Bay-Delta communities to protect the long term health of the SF Bay-Delta estuary. The Department of Water Resources' own modeling and climate change modeling by independent scientists shows us that there is going to be less and less water available from the Delta watershed. How can Zone 7 invest in what will ultimately become a stranded asset? Please VOTE NO against CA WaterFix/Delta Tunnels.
-
Most Important Action You Can Take: Stop Met's Water/Land Grab in the Delta!
The board of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Met) voted on March 8 to buy 20,000 acres of farm islands in the heart of the Delta. Two of the islands lie in the heart of the proposed tunnels route.
-
Southern California Water Agency to Purchase Delta Islands, Restore the Delta Response
Stockton, CA – At a closed session board meeting this morning, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California authorized the purchase of four islands in the San Francisco Bay-Delta for an undisclosed sum. The deal is highly controversial in Northern California as it would put Southern California’s most powerful water agency in control of a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands that can serve as water storage areas or entry points for the proposed $15 billion Delta Tunnels projects.
-
Restore the Delta Meet and Greet
Talk with Restore the Delta staff about the real costs of the Delta tunnels project for Santa Clara Valley Water District rate payers.
-
Can the Sacramento Delta survive more 'regulatory flexibility'?
By Doug Obegi Published: February 3, 2016Original article at LA Times. The state and federal Endangered Species Acts were created to prevent the extinction of our native fish and wildlife, and they've been tremendously successful. Yet despite these laws, California is on the verge of killing off some of its native salmon and other fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay, the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas.
-
Eggman Introduces New Law to Force Statewide Vote on Governor Brown’s Twin Tunnels Project
Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman announced today that she is introducing legislation to block the Governor’s controversial Twin Tunnels project unless it is approved by the voters of California on a statewide ballot.
-
Help Stop the Tunnels! Celebrate the Delta's Beauty and Bounty!
Celebrate the Delta’s beauty and bounty in Mardi Gras style for a good cause! Reserve your spot by January 22nd. No tickets will be sold at the door.
-
A Must Read: Farmers Try Political Force to Twist Open CA’s Taps
Dear friends, This article published on December 30, 2015 in the New York Times, "Farmers Try Political Force to Twist Open California’s Taps" is a must read! It's not just the tunnels. Whether the tunnels are built or not, unless we stop the over pumping of the Delta at the Tracy pumps, the Delta will collapse. And here is what those South of Delta water users are all about, excerpt: "A water utility on paper, Westlands in practice is a formidable political force, a $100 million-a-year agency with five lobbying firms under contract in Washington and Sacramento, a staff peppered with former federal and congressional powers, a separate political action committee representing farmers and a government-and-public-relations budget that topped $950,000 last year."Read the New York Times article here.Have a joyous 2016!
Advertising