Dear Governor-elect Newsom,

Congratulations on becoming the next Governor of the Golden State! We have high (but very reasonable) hopes of what you will do for the hardworking people, unique places, and diverse cultures that make up our beloved state of California.

We anticipate that your first day in office will be a busy one, but there is no time like the present to start thinking about how you and your administration can reshape and improve California’s water management strategies during your time in office.

Governor-elect, you have the power to ensure that our economies, communities, and ecosystems are in optimal health through the pursuit of innovative, climate change-resilient water programs, projects, and policies.

To be perfectly clear, here is what we the people want to see for California’s water future:

1. We do NOT want the CA WaterFix project to break ground and irreversibly destroy the Delta. Massive twin tunnels are not the 21st century solution we need to modernize California’s water conveyance systems. This project can and should be stopped immediately;
2. Our state’s existing water infrastructure MUST be upgraded to protect not only our state’s water storage facilities and supplies, but the public’s safety;
3. Local, sustainable water projects and programs must be funded, supported, and implemented in communities across California. Not only will sustainable projects increase our self-sufficiency and regional water supplies, but these projects will also decrease our environmental footprint and create well-paying jobs throughout California;
   
   Specifically, we would like to see more:
   
   a. Stormwater Capture Projects
   b. Water Recycling & Reuse Projects
   c. Urban and Agricultural Conservation Programs
   d. Water-saving technologies that increase efficiency;
   
   
4. At all costs, you must protect, enhance and restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin river Delta, its tributaries, and the connected San Francisco Bay estuary with habitat restoration programs and improved equitable flow standards for the Delta. The loss of these imperative ecosystems will be felt locally, and over time, globally;
5. Restore California’s groundwater systems;
6. An equitable distribution of clean, affordable water for the entire state of California.

Governor-elect Newsom, we the undersigned believe that you have the savvy, determination, and political courage to transform these goals for California’s water future into a tangible reality.  

It is our hope that you and your administration will bend the arc of the moral universe even further towards justice, equity, and innovation.

We look forward to seeing how you transform the state of California.

Sincerely,

Friends of Restore the Delta