California officially shrinks delta water diversion plan from two tunnels to one

A sign opposing a proposed tunnel plan to ship water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California is displayed near Freeport, south of Sacramento, in 2016. Gavin Newsom said in 2019 he would downsize the state’s plan for tunneling around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to deliver water more easily to Southern California. “We have a responsibility to adapt to this change by capturing and storing excess water to protect our communities and the environment and to provide the ability to beneficially use that stored water when conditions are dry.” But the draft environmental impact report said the project — a modern-day version of the Peripheral Canal — would also cause “unavoidable” impacts to delta farms, according to the document released Wednesday. “This proposed system would be even worse for the environment than the degraded status quo.” He said it’s also unclear the proposal will be permitted, given that federal and state endangered species laws may forbid changed water diversions from habitat that supports already threatened species. If constructed, it would be the state’s largest infrastructure venture since the high-speed rail system, a project that has faced numerous delays, cost overruns and litigation — hurdles that could also hobble the water tunnels.