ACTION ALERT: New Water Quality Standards Needed to Save California Rivers and the Bay-Delta
YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED: In December and January, the State Water Resources Control Board is soliciting public feedback on the best way to protect fish and wildlife, water quality, and the ecological health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and the Central Valley rivers that feed it. The Board is also considering a “Voluntary Agreements” (VAs) proposal from the Newsom administration and big water districts that would allow even more water to be diverted. The VA approach means ecosystem collapse and species extinction…
With Friends Like These…
Given the results of the November election, California’s role as a safety net is once again critical. So, it was disappointing to see the state move forward with proposed long-term operations of the State Water Project that will continue to jeopardize the existence of numerous native fish species. That’s why Friends of the River and other organizations filed a lawsuit against the Department of Water Resources on November 27 over the highly flawed Final Environmental Impact Report for long-term SWP operations of the SWP for its failure to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Everything Happens Twice in Endangered Species Land - And Not Always for the Better
The hijacking of the process to update Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections happened twice, the first time by President Trump, the second time by Governor Newsom. But nobody’s laughing the second time around. Instead, Friends of the River and its allies are working to prevent a replay and ensure that new, stronger ESA regulations are ultimately adopted.
FOR Takes a Stand Against the Dreaded Delta Tunnel
The proposed Delta Tunnel has reached the water rights stage, and Friends of the River, alongside many partner organizations, submitted two formal “protests” of the Tunnel water rights applications…
The Bay-Delta Plan Staff Report and the Real “Healthy Rivers Alternative”
The California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board or Board) recently released its Draft Staff Report for the Phase II Update of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta Plan or Plan). This report, and the process to update the Bay-Delta Plan, will have critical implications for the health of California rivers and ecosystems. Unfortunately, the Staff Report outlines several options that will fail to protect the Delta and its tributary rivers…
Newsom Administration Continues to Push Voluntary Agreements
Governor Newsom’s Administration continues to push forward Voluntary Settlement Agreements in lieu of updating the decades-late SF Bay/Delta Water Quality Control Plan…