Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  • State Government
  •  

Hearings Begin On California Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnel Project

  •  Amy Quinton 
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Department of Water Resources
 

Department of Water Resources

Water regulators have begun public hearings on California Governor Jerry Brown's $15 billion twin tunnel project, known as California Waterfix. The project aims to provide a more reliable water supply for millions of Californians.  

The public hearings that began Tuesday at the State Water Resources Control Board are supposed to be narrow in focus – the board must determine whether building three new water intakes on the Sacramento River would harm other water users or the environment.

 water fix
Map shows route of twin tunnels and proposed intake locations. Courtesy / Department of Natural Resources 
 

But the hearing quickly became a debate over the merits of the entire project, which would send water through two 30-mile long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to southern Californians and Central Valley farmers.

Paige Schlicht of Sacramento says the plan is not a fix for the Delta.

"Its goal is not the conservation of the Delta, legal or not, this is theft," says Schlicht. "Why we need a fix at all is because of projects like this that remove water from where it’s supposed to be, which is in rivers, streams, wetlands and underground.”

California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird says the current antiquated water system in the Delta harms fish and puts the state’s water supply at risk.

“If we could build the project again, we would put the intakes in a different place. The pumps frequently are curtailed to protect fish, as a result we miss opportunities to store water for dry seasons and drought years.”

The board hearings are just one step in an approval process expected to take more than year.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    Related Stories

  • Calif. Department Of Water Resources Gives Green Light To Twin Tunnels Project

    Friday, July 21, 2017
    California's plan to build a pair of massive tunnels to move Sacramento River water past the Delta and into the state's water distribution system, reached a milestone Friday.
  • Rich Pedroncelli / AP

    Californians Conserve Less Water Under New Rules

    Tuesday, August 2, 2016
    Californians saved less water in June than they have in previous years. It’s the first month since new rules gave suppliers more autonomy to set their own conservation standards.

 deltawater resourcesSacramento-San Joaquin DeltaWater SupplyCalifornia watertwin tunnelsCalifornia WaterFix

Amy Quinton

Former Environment Reporter

Amy came to Sacramento from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) where she was Environment Reporter. Amy has also reported for NPR member stations WFAE in Charlotte, WAMU in Washington D.C. and American Public Media's "Marketplace."  Read Full Bio 

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

How bad is water use in California? March is the worst so far, up 19%

May 10, 2022

Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo

A salty dispute: California Coastal Commission unanimously rejects desalination plant

May 14, 2022

Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Is your house at risk of a wildfire? This online tool could tell you

May 16, 2022

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

California coronavirus updates: US may be vulnerable to COVID-19 come this fall and winter season

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

Omicron FAQ: How long does COVID-19 last in a room? Can cloth masks be safer? Can I reuse an N95 mask?

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

California coronavirus updates: US may be vulnerable to COVID-19 come this fall and winter season

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

Omicron FAQ: How long does COVID-19 last in a room? Can cloth masks be safer? Can I reuse an N95 mask?

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.