Category Archives: California Delta

Superior Court Upholds State Board’s Plan to Increase Flows on San Joaquin River but Denies Claims Flows are Inadequate to Protect Fish

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Sarah Vardaro

In December 2018 the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) adopted updates to the Bay-Delta Plan (Plan) in accordance with its obligations under the Porter-Cologne Act. The updated Plan included flow objectives intended to restore and protect Chinook salmon … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, State Board Bay-Delta Standards | Comments Off on Superior Court Upholds State Board’s Plan to Increase Flows on San Joaquin River but Denies Claims Flows are Inadequate to Protect Fish

Show Time: DWR Files Petition to Change Water Rights for Delta Tunnel Despite Pending Lawsuit and Widespread Opposition

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Sarah Vardaro

On February 22, 2024, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) submitted a water rights petition for change in point of diversion to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) for the Delta Conveyance Project also known as the Delta … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, No Tunnels Campaign, Water Rights | Comments Off on Show Time: DWR Files Petition to Change Water Rights for Delta Tunnel Despite Pending Lawsuit and Widespread Opposition

Newsom “Strategy” Condemns Central Valley Salmon to “Hotter, Drier Future”

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Chris Shutes

The “California Salmon Strategy” announced January 30, 2024 by the Newsom Administration is a tour de force of avoidance and deflection. It blows right past the single largest issue facing California’s salmon: inadequate flows into and through the Bay-Delta Estuary. … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, California Delta, Chris Shutes | Comments Off on Newsom “Strategy” Condemns Central Valley Salmon to “Hotter, Drier Future”

More Delta Flow or Delta Tunnel? One Good Decision Will Stop the Next Bad Decision

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Chris Shutes

On December 8, 2023, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for its Proposed “Delta Conveyance Project” (aka tunnel under the Delta).  In thousands of pages of responses to comments, DWR affirms that its … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Chris Shutes, No Tunnels Campaign, State Board Bay-Delta Standards | Comments Off on More Delta Flow or Delta Tunnel? One Good Decision Will Stop the Next Bad Decision

CSPA Objects to Weakened Delta Water Quality without Strict Diversion Limits and a Ban on Transfers

Posted on April 9, 2022 by Chris Shutes

On April 6, 2022, CSPA and allied organizations AquAlliance and California Water Impact Network filed a protest and objection to a “Temporary Urgency Change Petition” for April-June 2022 water operations in the Delta.  The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Chris Shutes, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA Objects to Weakened Delta Water Quality without Strict Diversion Limits and a Ban on Transfers

The Merry-Go-Round of Denial Must Stop – Transfer of Public Trust Water to Agriculture Is On Repeat

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Cindy Charles

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and allies AquAlliance and California Water Impact Network (CWIN), filed an objection on January 7, 2022  to yet another petition to weaken flow and salinity standards that protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  The objection urges … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Water Quality | Comments Off on The Merry-Go-Round of Denial Must Stop – Transfer of Public Trust Water to Agriculture Is On Repeat

CSPA & PCFFA Urge Reversal of Harmful & Unlawful Trump Actions on the Central Valley Project

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Cindy Charles

By Cindy Charles The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) sent a joint letter on February 16, 2021 to the Biden Administration and Secretary of Interior designate Debra Haaland, urging them to … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Cindy Charles | Comments Off on CSPA & PCFFA Urge Reversal of Harmful & Unlawful Trump Actions on the Central Valley Project

Landmark Lawsuit Settlement Between CSPA and State Water Board to Protect Public Trust Fisheries

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 17 July 2020, shortly before trial, CSPA and its partners, California Water Impact Network and AquAlliance, settled a contentious 2015 lawsuit against the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board).  The lawsuit alleged that the State Board had embraced … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Enforcement, Fisheries, State Board Bay-Delta Standards, Water Quality | Comments Off on Landmark Lawsuit Settlement Between CSPA and State Water Board to Protect Public Trust Fisheries

CSPA, Coalition Sues Interior and Westlands Over Long-Term Water Contracts

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 8 July 2020, CSPA and a coalition of fishing organizations sued the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands, San Luis and Panoche Water Districts in federal court over a series of interim water service … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Fisheries, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA, Coalition Sues Interior and Westlands Over Long-Term Water Contracts

CSPA, Coalition Sues Bureau Over Long-Term Water Transfers

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 11 May 2020, CSPA, AquAlliance, California Water Impact Network and the South and Central Delta Water Agencies filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority over the EIS/EIR … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Fisheries, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA, Coalition Sues Bureau Over Long-Term Water Transfers

CSPA, Coalition Sues Waterboards Over Grasslands Bypass Pollutant Discharges to San Joaquin River

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Bill Jennings

On 5 May 2020, CSPA and a coalition of fishing and tribal groups (CSPA et al.) sued the State and Regional Water Boards, Bureau of Reclamation and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority over illegal discharges of pollutants from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Fisheries, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA, Coalition Sues Waterboards Over Grasslands Bypass Pollutant Discharges to San Joaquin River

CSPA Scopes Out Delta Tunnel Do-Over

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Chris Shutes

CSPA has identified 69 issues that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) must confront in its forthcoming Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the new incarnation of its “Delta Conveyance” project.  Delta Conveyance means a proposed tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Chris Shutes, No Tunnels Campaign | Comments Off on CSPA Scopes Out Delta Tunnel Do-Over

CSPA and Allies Oppose another DWR Delta Boondoggle

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Chris Shutes

CSPA and California Water Research submitted comments on January 6, 2020 opposing the analysis of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) of proposed future Delta operations.  The comments responded to DWR’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Long-Term Operation of … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Chris Shutes | Comments Off on CSPA and Allies Oppose another DWR Delta Boondoggle

A Busy End-of-Year for CSPA

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Bill Jennings

As we wait for the Newsom Administration to unveil the details of its proposed Portfolio Project, with a single Delta tunnel, results of the “Voluntary Agreement” process to replace/argument the existing Water Quality Control Plan proceeding and efforts by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Clean Farms - Clean Water, Fisheries, State Board Bay-Delta Standards, Water Quality | Comments Off on A Busy End-of-Year for CSPA

A Fresh Disaster for Fish – Bureau of Reclamation’s New Plan for Long-Term Operations of the CVP and SWP Water Export Business

Posted on September 17, 2019 by Cindy Charles

The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network and AquAlliance submitted joint comments September 3, 2019 on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State … Continue reading →

Posted in California Delta, Cindy Charles | Comments Off on A Fresh Disaster for Fish – Bureau of Reclamation’s New Plan for Long-Term Operations of the CVP and SWP Water Export Business

CSPA Wins Huge Ninth Circuit Court Victory

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Bill Jennings

On 6 September 2019, CSPA joined by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Friends of the River, San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, Institute for Fisheries Resources and Felix Smith prevailed in a major decision by the federal Ninth … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Clean Farms - Clean Water, Enforcement, Fisheries, Press Release, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA Wins Huge Ninth Circuit Court Victory

CSPA Submits Comments to EPA on New Selenium Criteria

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Bill Jennings

CSPA and a coalition of environmental, fishing and environmental justice organizations submitted comments to U.S. EPA regarding proposed federal water quality criteria for selenium applicable to California.  A protective water quality criterion for selenium is essential not only for various … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Campaigns, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA Submits Comments to EPA on New Selenium Criteria

CSPA Et Al. Challenges Legality of WaterFix Project Financing

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Bill Jennings

On 13 September 2017, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network, AquAlliance and the California Indian Water Commission challenged the legality of proposed bonds that will be used to pay for the construction of the Department of Water … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Miscellaneous, No Tunnels Campaign | Comments Off on CSPA Et Al. Challenges Legality of WaterFix Project Financing

CSPA Et Al. Sues Over Delta Tunnels Environmental Documents

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Bill Jennings

On 21 August 2017, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Department of Water Resources (DWR) over the inadequacy of its 80,000 plus page Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the WaterFix … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Fisheries, No Tunnels Campaign, Press Release, State Board Bay-Delta Standards, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA Et Al. Sues Over Delta Tunnels Environmental Documents

CSPA Files For Summary Judgment Against State Water Board

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Bill Jennings

On 27 July 2017, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, joined by the California Water Impact Network and AquAlliance, filed a motion for summary judgment in our pattern and practice and public trust lawsuit against the State Water Resources Control Board. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Jennings, California Delta, Enforcement, Fisheries, State Board Bay-Delta Standards, Water Quality | Comments Off on CSPA Files For Summary Judgment Against State Water Board