California Governor Jerry Brown is expected to announce this month his plans to build a massive and hugely costly facility to divert water from California's San Francisco Bay Delta to municipalities and agricultural users. In the words of Congressman John Garamendi (CA), "The BDCP (Bay Delta Conservation Plan) process is heading toward the creation of a massive water diversion facility that could destroy the entire Delta".

This diversion project could cost as much as $20 billion and put species like Central Valley salmon at real risk of extinction. State and federal wildlife agencies opposed a larger plan that had a pumping capacity of 15,000 cfs. This plan, with a beginning 9,000 cfs pumping capacity, and potential expansion to 15,000 cfs has not been evaluated--a major reason for not moving forward too quickly.