SACRAMENTO, California — State lawmakers should tighten their oversight of water regulators who are set to adopt a controversial plan pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for water flows in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the Legislative Analyst’s Office said Wednesday.
What happened: A new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office comes as the State Water Resources Control Board weighs a revised version of its long-delayed Bay-Delta water quality plan, which sets the minimum amount of water that must flow down rivers to keep fish healthy. The new proposal would allow water agencies to divert more water from the Delta than originally planned if they pay for habitat restoration and other environmental improvements.
Legislative analyst Gabriel Petek warned that the plan, which has been dubbed the voluntary agreements or “Healthy Rivers and Landscapes,” still has “significant uncertainties.” One pressing question is whether the quid pro quo of more water for restoration would actually lead to the recovery of fish populations. Another is whether efforts by the Trump administration to pump more water to Central Valley farmers threaten to undercut the state’s proposed program.
He recommended lawmakers hold oversight hearings, require more detailed reporting from the board, scrutinize how state funds are spent and consider independent scientific review of the program.
