Category: Delta tunnel

“General Bond Resolution” could fund twin tunnels project in stages

Money tunnel
~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

Environmental groups have been strongly critical of the Department of Water Resources’ “blank check” Delta Program Revenue Bond / General Bond Resolution..  The General Bond Resolution is expected to fund Governor Newsom's Delta tunnel project, which is currently estimated to cost $15.9 billion. The State Water Contractors have countered that DWR is simply "validating its … Continue reading “General Bond Resolution” could fund twin tunnels project in stages

Delta tunnel: DWR rejects consideration of No Tunnel alternatives in EIR

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

The Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority convened the 10th meeting of the Stakeholder Engagement Committee on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Carrie Buckman, the Environmental Manager for the Department of Water Resources, gave a presentation on DWR’s screening of alternatives suggested in the scoping process. Buckman summarized the Delta tunnel project objectives as follows: CLIMATE … Continue reading Delta tunnel: DWR rejects consideration of No Tunnel alternatives in EIR

MWD and Valley Water have yet to commit funds for Delta tunnel design

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

Metropolitan Water District has two seats on the Board of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority (DCA), and Valley Water (formerly Santa Clara Valley Water District) has one seat.  But to date, neither agency has committed to pay the DCA’s costs for the planning and engineering design for the single tunnel. After the Department […]

Delta tunnel: DWR plans for ESA consultation under Trump administration

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

On June 18, 2020, the Department of Water Resources submitted an application to the US Army Corps of Engineers for a Section 404 Clean Water Act permit for the Delta tunnel. Getting federal permits for the Delta tunnel is complicated by Attorney General Becerra's lawsuit over the Bureau of Reclamation’s new Long-Term Operations  for the … Continue reading Delta tunnel: DWR plans for ESA consultation under Trump administration

Delta tunnel: DCA transmitted initial project “footprint” to DWR on April 1

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

According to an April 23, 2020 memo prepared by the Kern County Water Agency for their April Board meeting packet, the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority ...delivered its “footprint” engineering to DWR on April 1, 2020. The “footprint” engineering serves as the starting point for the environmental analysis necessary for the EIR. According to … Continue reading Delta tunnel: DCA transmitted initial project “footprint” to DWR on April 1

Desperate to keep Delta tunnel engineering design schedule, DCA pressures Stakeholder Engagement Committee members to continue meeting

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ Leave a comment

Many SEC members spoke out strongly at the beginning of the SEC meeting, requesting that future meetings be postponed until Delta residents could engage on the project design. The members were told by DCA Executive Director Kathryn Mallon that “the due date is not moving.” 

The Project Formerly Known as WaterFix

~ Deirdre Des Jardins ~ 1 Comment

Although the Department of Water Resources rescinded all approvals of WaterFix project in May of 2019, the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority has been continuing engineering and geotechnical work on a single tunnel project under supervision of the Department of Water Resources. In June of 2019, Delta Defenders, the Delta Chambers and Visitor's Bureau, … Continue reading The Project Formerly Known as WaterFix