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FERC Holds PG&E Accountable for 2023 Butte Canal Failure
On November 19, 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a letter to PG&E about a major canal break and two canal blockages in 2023 at PG&E’s DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project on Butte Creek. The canal break had extremely damaging environmental effects. FERC’s letter called the canal break “preventable” and deemed it a violation of…
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State Water Board Releases Amended Notice for Delta Conveyance Project Hearings
The Administrative Hearings Office (AHO) of the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) has released an amended notice of public hearing for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project, also known as the Delta tunnel. The hearing is scheduled to begin February 18, 2025. The hearing will address petitions by the Department of Water Resources (DWR)…
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Proposed Sites Reservoir Would Harm Fish: CSPA’s Chris Shutes Delivers Testimony Before the State Water Board
On October 2nd, 2024, CSPA’s Chris Shutes delivered testimony before the Administrative Hearings Office (AHO) of the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). Chris’s testimony disputed the talking points of the Sites Project Authority that the proposed Sites Reservoir would divert water only during periods of high flow in the Sacramento River. It…
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An Inadequate Analysis of Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project
On September 9, 2024 a coalition of nonprofits submitted comments to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in response to its 2024 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP). The coalition consists of California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), California Water Impact Network, Friends…
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A Win for the Bear River: NID Abandons Plans to Build Centennial Dam
On September 25, 2024, the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board of Directors voted four to one to abandon its proposed Centennial Dam Project. The resolution was brought forward by NID staff, who had analyzed years of data and determined that the proposed project would be too costly and ineffective in supplying additional water to meet…