San Joaquin County leaders are pushing back hard against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s renewed effort to fast-track the controversial Delta tunnel project, an effort opponents say puts Southern California interests ahead of Central Valley communities.
Newsom’s plan, part of his revised budget proposal unveiled last week, would streamline approval and construction of the Delta Conveyance Project—a $20 billion initiative aimed at diverting water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to parched regions further south. The governor argues the tunnel is essential to modernize California’s water infrastructure and adapt to a drier, hotter future.
“For too long, attempts to modernize our critical water infrastructure have stalled in endless red tape,” Newsom said in an official statement.
“We’re done with barriers. Our state needs to complete this project as soon as possible.”
But in the Delta region, local leaders view those regulations as necessary safeguards and have questioned the need to expedite the project.
U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, a longtime critic of the project, blasted the plan as a wasteful and damaging effort.
“This new analysis acknowledges what we’ve known all along: the Delta Tunnel is meant to benefit Beverly Hills and leave Delta communities out to dry,” said Rep. Harder in a press release. “I’m sick and tired of politicians in Sacramento ignoring our Valley voices and I will do everything in my power to stop them from stealing our water.”
Stop the Delta Tunnel Act
Harder reintroduced the Stop the Delta Tunnel Act in February, a bill that would block the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from issuing a key federal permit needed to move the project forward.
The Act aims to halt progress on the Delta Conveyance Project by targeting a critical federal approval step. Specifically, the bill would prohibit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from granting the necessary Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, a requirement for large-scale infrastructure projects that could impact U.S. waterways. Without this permit, the Delta tunnel project would be unable to proceed at the federal level. Harder has framed the legislation as a necessary measure to protect Central Valley water rights and prevent what he sees as an unjust transfer of resources from Northern to Southern California.
The backlash wasn’t limited to Congress. State lawmakers from the area also voiced strong opposition.
In a May 15 letter, members of the California Legislature’s Delta Caucus urged Newsom and state budget leaders to reject the fast-tracking plan. They called the proposal “controversial and divisive,” warning it could inflict permanent economic and environmental damage across Sacramento, San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties.
The letter argues that the tunnel would not create new water supplies and that its costs—already projected to balloon past $20 billion—would be unfairly placed on taxpayers and ratepayers. Lawmakers specifically objected to proposed legal language allowing the Department of Water Resources to issue unlimited bonds for the project without a vote of the public.
They also criticized the removal of permitting requirements from the State Water Board and the narrowing of judicial review, saying such changes would limit the ability of Delta communities to defend their water rights and land in court.
Citing potential devastation to farmland, fisheries and culturally significant areas, the signatories called the tunnel proposal an unjust transfer of resources from Northern California to urban centers in the south. They advocated for alternative investments in water conservation, recycling, and groundwater storage that they say would be more sustainable and cost-effective.
“The tunnel will not lead to additional water storage,” the letter states, urging the Legislature to pursue solutions that protect the Delta and uphold the state’s long-standing environmental and water management policies.
Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy, warned in a press release that the fast-tracking plan could trample on both water and property rights. “The Delta is essential to our region,” said Assemblymember Ransom. “Diverting water jeopardizes the ecosystem and deepens historical injustices faced by California tribes and disadvantaged communities.”
Ransom, who recently partnered with Stockton-based nonprofit Restore the Delta, said they plan to launch an audit of the Department of Water Resources—the agency overseeing the project.
San Joaquin County officials have also reiterated their opposition to the Delta Conveyance Project, particularly its financing approach. In January 2024, the Sacramento County Superior Court denied a request by the California Department of Water Resources to validate bond resolutions intended to fund the project. In a statement following the ruling, then Supervisor Tom Patti called the decision “a phenomenal win for the Delta and its 4 million residents.”
Supervisor Steve Ding added that the ruling showed the department “doesn’t have the authority to fund the tunnel with bonds.”
County leaders have stated they will continue to monitor the project and support infrastructure improvements that align with regional priorities.