MEDIA ADVISORY: Press Conference on Delta Tunnel Trailer Bills Reintroduction and Bay-Delta Plan Changes
Source: Restore The Delta
Contact: Alexandra Nagy, alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org
Stockton, Calif. – Restore the Delta is set to host a press conference alongside Tribes and environmental advocates to address the reintroduction of the controversial Delta Tunnel trailer bills at the behest of the Newsom administration, which threaten California’s water rights, environmental protections, and public due process.
The Metropolitan Water District (MWD), the largest wholesale water agency with a vested interest in the Delta Tunnel, has confirmed the trailer bills will be reintroduced after legislative summer recess ends. These bills aim to expedite the $100 billion Delta Tunnel project while undermining water quality standards for the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. At the same time, environmental organizations and Tribes are protesting the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) incomplete water rights case before the State Water Board, with the presentation of protestants' case set to begin on August 12, 2025, after months of hearings.
Additionally, the State Water Board’s proposed updates to the Bay-Delta Plan — including “voluntary agreements” with water districts — have sparked criticism from Tribes, environmental justice groups, and conservationists. These agreements offer regulatory exemptions in exchange for limited additional river flows and funding, which critics argue could reverse progress on ecological protections.
The press conference will outline the coordinated political efforts by Governor Newsom to fast-track these controversial measures, which bypass public input and pose significant risks to California’s water future.
WHAT: Press conference on reintroduction of Delta Tunnel trailer bills and proposed changes to Bay-Delta Plan
WHEN: Friday, August 15, 2025 at 11am PT
WHERE: Virtual Press Conference: Register at this zoom link.
WHO:
Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba/ Krystal Moreno TEK, Program Manager, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
Gary Mulcahy, Government Liaison with the Winnemem Wintu Tribe
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director, Restore the Delta
Max Gomberg, Senior Policy Advisor, California Water Impact Network
Barry Nelson, Policy Advisor, Golden State Salmon Association
Ben Eichenberg, Staff Attorney, San Francisco BayKeeper
Gary Bobker, Policy Director, Friends of the River
To RSVP for the press conference, go to this link. For media inquiries, please contact Alexandra Nagy at alexandra@sunstonestrategies.org.
