Reform Water Rights

California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) advocates for water rights reform in California to ensure the protection and sustainable management of the state’s water resources, particularly for the benefit of fish and aquatic ecosystems.

In particular, CSPA works to address the overallocation of water rights, the failure to enforce existing regulations, and the protection of water flows needed to sustain healthy fish populations and ecosystems.

CSPA engages in legal advocacy, policy reform, and public education. CSPA also actively participates in state water management processes, challenging water rights permits and allocations that threaten fish species like salmon and steelhead.

CSPA works to hold state agencies accountable for enforcing environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act, and frequently files lawsuits to compel compliance with water quality and flow standards.

In addition, CSPA advocates for modernizing California’s water rights system to reflect current ecological realities. This includes pushing for reforms that prioritize public trust resources in water allocation decisions and challenging outdated water rights that contribute to the depletion of rivers and streams.

Through scientific research, coalition building, and public awareness campaigns, CSPA seeks to reshape water policies to protect fisheries and ensure the long-term sustainability of the state’s water resources.

Water Rights Protests

When an entity seeks a new water rights permit or wants to modify an existing one, it must apply to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board). Public notices of these applications typically allow a 30 to 60 day window for protests.

CSPA regularly protests these applications for reasons including:

CSPA’s Protest Strategy

CSPA reviews every water rights application and petition. In its review CSPA considers factors such as environmental impact, water availability, and legal issues. CSPA’s protests often aim to secure mitigations like fish screens or increased river flows, while others seek to stop projects entirely to protect river ecosystems.


Protest Process


Filing a protest requires research and legal preparation. Once a protest is accepted, the applicant must respond. If unresolved, further meetings or legal actions, including environmental impact reports, may follow. The State Board may grant a hearing where both sides present evidence and testimony. If unresolved, legal challenges may continue.


Notable Success: Auburn Dam

In 1998, CSPA protested a time-extension petition for Auburn Dam. The permits for Auburn Dam had been granted in 1971 but had not been used. After many years of delay, the State Board revoked the permits in 2009 following a hearing where CSPA and its allies successfully argued against the project.

Ongoing Protests

The Administrative Hearings Office (AHO) was created in 2019 to help resolve backlogged cases. CSPA, along with many others are currently protesting the water rights applications for the proposed Sites Reservoir and the proposed Delta Tunnel as well as many other lower profile water rights applications.

Other Flow Restoration Campaigns

Recent News

Reform Water Rights Campaign

CSPA Submits Scoping Comments on Water Rights Application 29835 – Mokelumne River Conjunctive Use Program

On July 30, 2024, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and The Center for Biological Diversity (The Center) submitted public scoping comments on Water Rights Application 29835 (Application 29835) and the associated Mokelumne River Conjunctive Use Program (MICUP). Public scoping comments are intended to inform project leaders on what should be included in the Environmental Impact […]

Newsom’s 2023 California Water Plan: Supplying Imaginary Water to Meet an Insatiable Demand

On April 2, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the release of the 2023 update of the California Water Plan (Water Plan). Governor Newsom announced the Water Plan at a press conference held at Phillips Station in the high Sierra, just after this year’s snowpack was measured there at 113 percent of average. At the press […]

How A Lack of Regulatory Oversight Dried Up the Merced River – The State Water Board Needs to Protect Merced River Flows Now

Merced River, Yosemite Valley, Oct. 2022 / Dead Lower Merced River  Aug. 2022 The Merced River, the iconic wild and scenic river flowing out of Yosemite National Park, died in the summer of 2022 upstream of its confluence with the San Joaquin River.  The river was completely dewatered from July 7 to October 7. It […]

Groundwater Gold Rush

The groundwater gold rush is on.  New projects to divert rivers for groundwater recharge are popping up across the state.  Most of these projects are temporary, but most also explicitly foresee long-term, permanent projects.  These recharge projects threaten to divert still more water from already-depleted rivers, even as the State Water Resources Control Board (State […]

CSPA, Friends of the River, and Allies Protest Water Rights for Proposed Sites Reservoir

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and Friends of the River (FOR) led a coalition of environmental groups and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe in a protest of the water right application for the proposed Sites Reservoir.  CSPA filed the protest with the State Water Resources Control Board on August 31, 2023. In addition to CSPA, […]