Central Valley Republicans are calling on the State Water Resources Control Board to not adopt the proposed Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, saying it will harm farmers and local communities.
Lawmakers sent a letter to the board warning that the plan could cause the federal government to withhold funding for habitat restoration projects.
Driving the news: State and federal officials have been working on the water plan for years, culminating in a draft plan released in August that is scheduled to be adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board next month.
The plan would require water agencies to limit pumping or participate in voluntary agreements to commit to certain river flows, as well as paying for habitat restoration.
Westlands Water District came out against the proposal, saying the state substantially changed the terms of an agreement that was negotiated in 2022.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation sent a letter to the state saying the proposal will farm farmers by restricting pumping.
Zoom in: GOP lawmakers wrote in their letter to the State Water Resources Control Board that the plan establishes a framework based on 55% of unimpaired flow on Sacramento and Delta tributaries.
“Such a sweeping regulatory approach could have significant consequences for reservoir storage, water deliveries, groundwater conditions, agricultural production, rural communities, and the broader California economy,” the letter reads.
But critical elements of how that regulatory program would operate remain unresolved, lawmakers argue in the letter, asking the board to fully define the regulatory program and evaluate its real-world water supply and economic consequences.
“California has spent years working toward a collaborative solution for the Bay-Delta,” the letter reads. “The State should not jeopardize that progress by adopting a Plan before its obligations and consequences are fully understood. We urge the Board and the Administration to address these fundamental issues before final adoption.”
What they’re saying: “The State Water Board is asking the Valley to accept the consequences before it has finished defining the rules,” said Assembly Republican Leader Alexandra M. Macedo (R-Tulare). “Before Sacramento moves forward, Valley families, farmers and communities deserve to know what this will actually mean for their water.”
Asm. Juan Alanis (R–Modesto) added, “You cannot run a farm, a food processor or a city water system on ‘we’ll figure it out later.’ If the state cannot tell Valley communities what this plan will actually do, it is not ready to be adopted.”