Financial support for the planning phase of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel has plummeted among Kern County agricultural water districts as they continue to seek definitive answers about water supplies and how the tunnel will operate. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) had been seeking $33 million from Kern districts to be paid in two installments this year and in 2027 for the planning and pre-construction phase of the tunnel, known as the Delta Conveyance Project.  But it will get considerably less than that based on participation levels that districts have approved during recent meetings. … The reduced support will likely be a significant hit to tunnel funding for this phase, but a DWR spokesman said by email that the project will proceed.

Other Delta tunnel news:

• Sierra Club Angeles Chapter: Podcast: California’s water gamble