… Newsom on Wednesday rejected the California Indian Freedom Act (AB 1881) and the Indigenous Water Rights Act (AB 2218), despite unanimous votes in both chambers of the State Legislature. … The timing coincides with severe conditions on the Scott River, a major Klamath Basin salmon stream. On Sept. 27, gauges near Fort Jones showed the river at 8 cubic feet per second, far below the state’s 33 cfs minimum for September. … Tribal leaders say the condition of the Scott River shows why AB 1881 and AB 2218 mattered. The bills would have given tribes a stronger hand in the water‑rights and permitting decisions that influence flows in the Scott and Shasta rivers. … A coalition … is calling on the State Water Resources Control Board to conduct a comprehensive audit of water use in Scott Valley.