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Stand Up for Rivers, the SF Bay-Delta & Water Justice in Sacramento, CA
Understanding the Bay Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements (VAs)
The Bay-Delta is the hub of California’s water system and the largest estuary on the West Coast. It supplies drinking water to nearly 27 million people, supports salmon runs, and sustains many communities including: Tribal, fishing, and farming communities. It is also the water body that the Feather, American, San Joaquin, Sacramento, and other Northern California rivers flow into. The Trinity River, a Klamath tribuary is also diverted into the Delta.
To protect this watershed, the State Water Board is supposed to regularly update the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. But it hasn’t been fully updated in almost 30 years. When the state finally began the update 10 years ago, scientists recommended stronger river flows to protect salmon and water quality.
Governor Newsom has pushed for Voluntary Agreements (VAs), which replace actions to protect water quality, including protecting instream flows, and have held up the update. The VAs are side deals with water users such as almond growers that weaken protections, cut the public and Tribes out of decision-making, and ignore scientific recommendations and public comment.
VAs are also non-binding and lack clear enforcement mechanisms. Meaning, there is no accountability if water users fail to meet flow, habitat, or temperature goals critical to salmon survival and the protection of drinking water.
The result of years of inaction on this plan is that salmon populations in the Sacramento River have collapsed by 65–90% (depending on species), entire fishing seasons have been shut down, and water quality continues to decline.
Now, the Board is considering approving these VAs as part of the Bay-Delta Plan and having weakened protections and water quality standards for non-VA parties. These regulatory protections would set flows in rivers as low as 35% of natural levels, which is far below the 75% recommended by scientists. The VAs are even weaker and allow new parties, like Sites Reservoir, to enter the agreements after the fact, without analyzing impacts.
This decision will affect all Bay Delta tributaries and the Trinity River, drinking water quality, salmon survival, and Tribal fishing rights for generations. That’s why we’re calling on the state to reject voluntary deals & adopt science-based water protections from earlier scientific/CEQA analysis.
Talking Points
A Water Quality Plan Needs to Protect California Water Not Big Ag & Water Brokers: The Bay-Delta Plan Must Reject Voluntary Agreements to Protect Salmon, Drinking Water, and Tribal Rights.
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The current Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan relies heavily on Voluntary Agreements (VAs), which are non-binding, lack regulatory teeth, and actually lower flows in some watersheds. Without clear enforcement mechanisms and actual water quality protections, there is no accountability if water users fail to meet flow, habitat, or temperature goals critical to salmon survival.
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Decades of existing VAs have failed, resulting in declining salmon populations, warming rivers, shrinking flows, collapsing ecosystems, and impacts to local drinking water supplies. It is time for real action, not more delays.
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These agreements perpetuate historic inequities by ignoring Indigenous knowledge, cultural resource protection, subsistence needs, and local communities. Tribal communities and environmental justice groups have been excluded from negotiation tables dominated by powerful water interests and Big Ag.
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The VAs sidestepped Tribal Consultation as well as public & science-based processes and years of scientific and public input. This undermines Tribal sovereignty and does not allow the public to have a say in how public resources are managed.
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We need quantifiable, enforceable standards for irrigators in order to protect the water supply of 27.7 million people who rely on the Bay-Delta for their drinking water.
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VA’s lack of enforcement mechanisms for diverters upstream to maintain flows, which could threaten drinking water supplies and increase water rates for residential consumers.
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80% of the developed water used in the state is used by agricultural interests. Under this proposed plan, water users can divert water without consequence, leaving fish and communities behind. We deserve an actionable plan to protect our resources.
Tell the Water Board to do its job and protect our water. We demand enforceable flow & temperature protections, Tribal co-governance, Science-based standards, and real accountability to restore salmon and water quality for future generations.
Public Comment Training
September 17th, 2025 from 6:00PM - 7:00PM
More Info and Registration for Zoom Training at: tinyurl.com/PublicCommentZoomTraining
Public Comment Opportunities
September 24 & 25th, 2025 at 9:00am
Joe Serna Jr. CalEPA Building Coastal Hearing Room 1001 I Street, Second Floor Sacramento, CA 95814
If you can’t join in person or via Video/Teleconference, you may submit written comments via email to SacDeltaComments@waterboards.ca.gov until September 29th.
Sacramento Rally
September 25th, 2025 at 12:30pm
Outside the CalEPA Building
on the corner of I and 10th St.
Read Revised Draft of the Bay-Delta Plan: tinyurl.com/RevisedDraftBDP