https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/06/23/press-release-political-pressure-on-sites-reservoir-doesnt-change-the-facts From the San Francisco Baykeeper and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance: In an overt act of political meddling, Governor Newsom and his deputies are pressuring a judge to retract her evidence-based findings on the Sites Reservoir Project The evidence shows the multi-billion-dollar Sites Reservoir project cannot operate as proposed without unreasonable harm to rivers, fish, and ecosystems.…

On May 18, 2026, San Joaquin County issued a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) to support water right application 29835. The application seeks to divert up to 158,000 acre-feet of water per year from the Mokelumne River. The stated purpose of the project is conjunctive use. Conjunctive use refers to coordinated management of surface water…

The Water Renaissance Plan (the Plan), published May 2026, is a new 27-page proposal for a sustainable water future for California. It was developed by a coalition of entities that include California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the River, Golden State Salmon Association, LA Waterkeeper, Resource Renewal Institute, Restore the Delta, San…

On May 4, 2026, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance joined with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, and North Coast Rivers Alliance to file an amicus brief in an appeal of the Kern River case Bring Back the Kern v. City of Bakersfield, 2025. Attorney Stephan Volker filed the amicus brief in…

If you live, work, or engage in recreation in Richmond, you’ve probably gotten close to the West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill in north Richmond. The Parr Boulevard-based garbage dump opened in 1953. The dump is now closed, but it remains a problem. For close to two decades, the facility owned by a subsidiary of Phoenix-based…