Report urges Metropolitan Water District to abandon Newsom’s $16-billion delta tunnel plan
Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration have touted plans to build a tunnel to transport water beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, saying the project would modernize California’s water infrastructure and help the state adapt to climate change. But an advocacy group is urging the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to abandon the $16-billion project, saying it doesn’t make financial sense for the state’s largest urban water agency. In a report released this week, the California Water Impact Network said the delta tunnel may seem like a viable alternative but has three major flaws: “an exorbitant price tag, environmental restrictions on operations and the impacts of climate change on deliveries.” … Over the past two decades, the MWD has spent about $240 million on planning for iterations of the proposed tunnel. The agency’s 38-member board has yet to take a vote on whether to support the so-called Delta Conveyance Project.
Related articles:
- California Water Impact Network: Report - How the Delta Conveyance Project Could Bankrupt the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- California Globe: Opinion - California Holds the Key to Western Water Security