California regulators are moving toward a long-awaited decision on how much water can be taken from the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta — a choice that could reshape supplies for cities, farms, and fragile ecosystems statewide. The Bay-Delta Plan, now nearing final approval, would require more freshwater to remain in rivers and estuaries, limiting how much can be pumped south during much of the year. Recent public hearings underscored how consequential the plan is: conservation groups say the Delta’s ecological collapse demands urgent action; agricultural districts and urban water agencies warn it could reshape supply chains, decimate the ag industry, and raise household water bills.

Other Bay-Delta news:

• The Sacramento Bee (Calif.): How one lawsuit embodies local-state conflict in California water conservation
• The Stockton Record (Calif.): Understanding saltwater intrusion endagers California’s Delta