March 17, 2026 \u2013 In a rare occurrence, Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups, and State Water Contractors united today to protect California\u2019s primary water source for decades to come.<\/p>\n
SB 872 is groundbreaking legislation that would address two major issues impacting California\u2019s main water supply: repairing aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and shoring up the State Water Project (SWP) canals that are threatened by sinking land.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically, California\u2019s water wars have pitted North against South and environmentalists versus water contractors,\u201d said Sen. McNerney, who is co-chair of the Delta Caucus and whose district includes the heart of the Delta. \u201cSB 872 is a commonsense solution that brings traditional adversaries together to support vital water projects that will secure California\u2019s water supply and the Delta, while benefitting the entire state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Together, the Delta and the SWP make up California\u2019s primary water system, providing freshwater supplies to 27 million people, businesses, and farms in the Central Valley, the Bay Area, and Southern California. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta supports a vibrant and diverse ecosystem of plants and animals.<\/p>\n
But the Delta\u2019s levees and the SWP\u2019s water canals are in critical need of repair. Many of the Delta\u2019s levees are at risk of collapse, threatening the entire Delta ecosystem and the surrounding region with catastrophic flooding. The SWP\u2019s California Aqueduct is a gravity-fed system that will fail if the land around it sinks, a problem already in progress. Land sinkage or subsidence threatens up to 80% of the system\u2019s water supplies.<\/p>\n
SB 872 will be heard Wednesday in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. It would direct $300 million annually to much-needed levee repairs in the Delta and to shoring up SWP\u2019s canals to prevent interruptions in essential water deliveries.<\/p>\n
SB 872 is supported by legislators from throughout the state and by the environmental group,\u00a0Restore the Delta<\/a>, and the\u00a0State Water Contractors<\/a>. The bill is also backed by a diverse coalition of more than 60 organizations, including the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Metropolitan Water District.<\/p>\n \u201cReliable water is the backbone of California\u2019s communities, economy, and environment, and I am grateful to Senator Jerry McNerney for bringing this issue forward and leading the effort to protect one of our state\u2019s most essential resources\u201d said Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, co-author of SB 872. \u201cTaking action now ensures that all Californians have access to safe, affordable water while protecting our critical infrastructure and preparing for the challenges ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSB 872 strikes an appropriate balance, bringing interested parties from all sides together to shore up our state\u2019s critical water infrastructure and safeguard it for the future,\u201d said Sen. Tim Grayson, D-Concord, co-author of SB 872. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join Senator McNerney to support critical projects in the Delta and across California and am thankful for his leadership on the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAging Delta levee infrastructure is facing increased pressure as climate change impacts precipitation patterns and storms grow in intensity. SB 872 takes steps to prioritize investments in Delta levees, and by extension the communities, ecosystems, and economies that depend upon the Delta,\u201d said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. \u201cWe applaud Sen. McNerney in taking this first step to initiate the conversation about prioritizing proactive efforts to protect the Delta as a place for its 4 million area residents and for the future of California.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSubsidence already threatens the effectiveness of our statewide water delivery system, and without near-term repairs, we expect an 87% reduction in delivery capability in the coming years,\u201d said Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors. \u201cWithout funding for repairs, the 27 million Californians who rely on the State Water Project face water insecurity and rapidly rising costs. We thank Senator McNerney for his leadership on this issue, and I\u2019m encouraged by the coalition that came together today, demonstrating that Californians from across the state can unite behind this necessary, common-sense solution to a pressing issue.\u201d<\/p>\n SB 872 would direct the following amounts annually over 20 years to ensure water reliability for years to come:<\/p>\n $150 million annually to the Delta Conservancy for levee improvements, including projects that restore habitat<\/p>\n $150 million annually to DWR for subsidence repair along SWP canals.<\/p>\n Sen. Jerry McNerney is chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, and his 5th Senate District includes all of San Joaquin County and Alameda County\u2019s Tri-Valley.<\/p>\n What Others Are Saying<\/p>\n \u201cSB 872 is the much-needed bridge among all water interests along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; one that could truly instill smart investments in a healthy Delta estuary,\u201d said Ashley Overhouse, Defenders of Wildlife water policy advisor. \u201cLife in California is tied to the Delta. As the heart of our water system, it directly serves millions of residents, supports agriculture in the Central Valley and is a vital habitat for the endangered Chinook salmon and other keystone species. SB 872 must pass so work on levees and State Water Project maintenance can begin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia is home to one of the largest levee systems in the United States, protecting nearly 500,000 acres of farmland and Delta communities in the Sacramento\u2013San Joaquin River Delta. But the risk of collapse looms as subsidence caused by users whose practices contributed to the sinking of this landscape must address the consequences. Delta residents need our support, and this step shows we are ready to come together to protect the communities and lands that depend on these levees,\u201d said Miguel Miguel, director, Sierra Club California.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Delta Counties Coalition appreciates Senator McNerney\u2019s proposal to address aging levees and degradation of the California Aqueduct,\u201d said Delta Counties Coalition Chair Pat Hume. \u201cInvestment to upgrade infrastructure ensures reliable water delivery for all Californians, including all who rely on levees holding strong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe threat to California\u2019s water supply and risk to Southern Californians, who bear no responsibility for the subsidence undermining the aqueduct that delivers our water supply, is unacceptable and requires urgent action,\u201d said Shivaji Deshmukh, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. \u201cA long-term, durable funding source is needed to repair and prevent future damage to the State Water Project as well as to sustain Delta levees with more resilient engineered solutions. On this we can all agree.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"March 17, 2026 \u2013 In a rare occurrence, Northern and Southern California legislators, environmental groups, and State Water…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224711,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-224710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}