Here's what Governor Jerry Brown's Administration, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Kern County Water Agency, and Westlands Water District are counting on: that if approvals for the Delta tunnels are buried in plans, amendments, and long tedious documents, that means they can push the project through without public opposition.

This is why it is important for you to read and sign our petition opposing the Delta Plan amendments today, before the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) votes on June 22, 2017. The DSC is seeking to make dual conveyance the preferred method of moving water through the Delta. They claim this is not approval for CA WaterFix (the Delta tunnels), but considering the tunnels are the ONLY project under consideration by the state presently, we maintain their claim is false.

Please read the petition below and sign it by June 19th. It includes details on why the Delta Plan amendment for storage and conveyance is bad for the protection of the SF Bay Delta estuary.

The next meeting where a vote will take place at the Delta Stewardship Council is Thursday, June 22 @ 9 a.m., Holiday Inn, 300 J St, Sacramento. We hope you can join us!

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Letter to
Delta Stewardship Council
Petition to Delta Stewardship Council

For June 22, 2017 Delta Stewardship Council Meeting

We, the undersigned, are residents of the State of California. We request that you, Members of the Delta Stewardship Council, withdraw the Delta Plan Amendments for Conveyance, Storage Systems, and the Operation of Both at this time. We request also that you withdraw the Notice of Preparation (posted March 16, 2017) of Draft Program Environmental Impact Report at this time. Your proposed Delta Plan Amendment states that the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation “should pursue a dual-conveyance option for the Delta.” We are convinced that contrary to the representations made to the public by your Chairman and Staff, the only reason you are seeking to take action on the Delta Plan Amendments promoting dual conveyance at this time is to facilitate and aid the approvals and development of the California Water Fix Delta Water Tunnels project.

There are several reasons why the intent to facilitate the Water Fix Tunnels project is clear. The Water Fix Tunnels project is the only dual-conveyance project out there and is the project that DWR and Reclamation are trying to carry out. You know that “elephant” is in the room but you are trying to ignore it. It makes no sense to adopt a plan amendment promoting dual-conveyance before: revising other parts of the Delta Plan; setting the “quantified or otherwise measurable targets associated with achieving reduced reliance on the Delta” and “restoring more natural flows” required by the Trial Court Order and the Delta Reform Act; and determining “the flows necessary for recovering the Delta ecosystem and restoring fisheries” to “identify the remaining water available for export and other beneficial uses” required by the Delta Reform Act. Since both the law and common sense require that you would determine how much, if any, water remains available for export before promoting dual-conveyance over existing through-Delta conveyance, it is clear that you are proposing to act now in order to please the Water Fix Tunnels proponents instead of carrying out your duties under the Delta Reform Act to be good stewards and long-range planners for the Delta.

Signatures: