California Advances Controversial Delta Tunnel Project Amid Environmental Opposition

Governor Newsom's administration pushes forward with the Delta Conveyance Project, a plan to build a 45-mile water tunnel, despite strong opposition from environmental groups.

• California Governor Gavin Newsom's administration has advanced a controversial plan to build a 45-mile water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, despite strong opposition from environmental groups.
• The tunnel, part of the Delta Conveyance Project, is intended to modernize the state's aging water system and help California adapt to worsening cycles of drought fueled by climate change.
• Environmental groups argue that the tunnel would harm the delta's ecosystem and threaten endangered fish species, suggesting that funds would be better spent on groundwater recharge efforts, water recycling, and stormwater capture.
• State officials have released their final environmental analysis of the proposed project, signaling the start of a process of seeking permits to build the tunnel. The project is expected to complete all permits by 2026, allowing for construction to begin around 2030.
• The cost of construction has previously been estimated at $16 billion, but the state plans to update those cost estimates next year.

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