On September 29, 2015, the Environmental Water Caucus, a coalition of groups including CSPA, submitted comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Coordinated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. The EWC finds the DEIS deficient because it ignores operations during the long term drought, the waving of environmental protections including D-1641 water quality standards, and the dramatic decline of Delta Smelt, winter-run Chinook salmon and other fish species.
The EWC concludes that to comply with NEPA, the Bureau of Reclamation must revise the DEIS to analyze a broader range of alternatives, using a credible methodology for assessing environmental impacts, including cumulative impacts.