On 24 September 2014, CSPA testified at the State Water Resource Control Board’s (State Board) hearing on the draft Order denying petitions for reconsideration and addressing objections regarding the Temporary Urgency Change Petitions (TUCP) for operation of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project. CSPA, CWIN and AquAlliance had submitted comments on the proposed Order on 16 September.
Between 31 January and 2 May, the State Board issued eight TUCP orders modifying and relaxing water quality and flow standards for the Delta. CSPA and a number of others filed formal protests of the emergency orders and CSPA and five other parties filed Petitions for Reconsideration.
CSPA pointed out that the relaxed standards and reduced outflows had a catastrophic impact to listed species and in-Delta beneficial uses and that export pumping should have been curtailed before Delta water quality and flow standards established for drought conditions were discarded. CSPA characterized the TUOP process as an egregious backroom violation of due process and urged the State Board to establish an open public process for any subsequent emergency actions.
Despite almost uniform criticism of the order by environmental and fishing groups and Delta and north-state water agencies, the State Board adopted the order with few changes.