Restore the Delta sent out an announcement to its supporters thanking them for work in achieving the legislative victory in the pulling of AB 2215:

“We maintain that the Department of Water Resources, and the State Water Contractors have to go through all normal regulatory processes as any other water rights holders. We stand ready to work on solutions for the Delta and water deliveries that respect their needs as well as the needs of the people in the watersheds. This is why we continue to work with the State Water Contractors on SB 872.”

The bill passed the Assembly before stalling in the Senate

Before the bill was scheduled for the Senate Hearing, the bill sailed through the California Assembly on May 27 with a vote of 59 to 1 and 20 no votes recorded. It was supposed to be considered by the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Wednesday, July 1.

Both the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC) – consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, and Restore the Delta – and the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) submitted letters to the California Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee opposing AB 2215. Other bill opponents include the Delta Counties Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Golden State Salmon Association.

The Delta Counties Coalition (DCC) also issued a statement in response to AB 2215 failing passage in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

“This proposal raised serious concerns about granting special treatment and would have bypassed long-standing water rights protections and removed public oversight. By insisting on reasonable amendments that ultimately lead to the author pulling the bill from committee consideration, the Legislature reaffirmed the importance of a fair, transparent water rights process that applies equally to all.”

The larger fight over the Delta Conveyance Project

The Delta Conveyance Project is a proposed 45-mile underground water tunnel to divert water from the Sacramento River for use by corporate agribusiness operations and Southern California water agencies. Proponents claim the project is a needed response to climate change and ensuring reliable water supplies, while opponents say the tunnel will hasten the extinction of Central Valley salmon and steelhead populations, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, along with imperiling Delta communities and Tribes and raising water rates for Southern California cities.

Other Delta and Tribal water measures advanced

On the same day, two other California water bills passed through the Committee. SB 872, a bill that would dedicate $300 million annually to address two major threats to California’s water supply, aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and sinking canals in the State Water Project (SWP), passed the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee with unanimous approval. SB 872 will next be heard in the Committee on Appropriations.

AB 2218, a bill that seeks to address inequities in California water policy inflicted on California Native tribes, passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. As of press time, AB 2218 had been read a second time and amended. It has been re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

As California faces growing climate-driven challenges, policymakers and communities increasingly recognize that equitable and sustainable water management must incorporate Tribal rights, traditional ecological knowledge, and Tribal governance. AB 2218 directs state agencies to strengthen consultation with Tribes during water rights investigations and develop policies that address water related harms resulting from state-sanctioned termination, removal, and assimilation of California Native American tribes

Cintia Cortez, Policy Program Manager, Restore the Delta, concluded, “The California Legislature made progress on timely investments to protect Delta residents and water supply, and addressing inequities inflicted upon California Native tribes, while standing firm against interference in the water rights process. We urge the legislature to stand with community and Tribal interests and move away from policies that perpetuate ongoing inequities in California water management.”

Tunnel critics are optimistic

With the latest defeat in the legislature of a bill designed to fast-track the tunnel, combined with recent CA Appellate and Supreme Court Decisions rejecting funding for tunnel, project critics are optimistic that the tunnel will not be able to move forward.

“It was Newsom working around the existing law to try to get the bills fast tracking the tunnels passed before he leaves office,” Krieger said in an interview for SN&R. “We have succeeded in killing the validation action put forward by the Department of Water Resources, since they are required to sell bonds to build a project like this.”