Newsom touts California water progress as Delta tunnel fight continues

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday defended his administration's water policies and pushed for major infrastructure projects, including the controversial Delta Conveyance Project, arguing the state is now "more prepared for our water future than ever before."

Speaking at the annual conference for the Association of California Water Agencies in Sacramento, Newsom highlighted actions his administration says have strengthened the state's water systems since 2019, including expanding clean drinking water access, advancing water storage projects, restoring salmon habitats and increasing groundwater management efforts.

"California has embraced a more balanced and forward-looking approach to water policy — rejecting the false choice between protecting our water future and building the infrastructure we need," Newsom said in a statement released by his office. "We're taking an all-of-the-above approach by expanding water projects, restoring habitats, and improving water quality, because real progress comes from partnership, not polarization."

The governor framed California's water challenges around what officials call "climate whiplash," increasingly severe swings between drought and extreme storms. His office noted California has experienced two "worst-in-a-millennium" droughts in the past 15 years, followed by record-setting periods of rainfall.

Newsom said the state's strategy includes expanding water recycling, desalination projects and stormwater capture while also modernizing aging infrastructure.

The Delta tunnel project

A major focus of the speech was the Delta Conveyance Project, commonly known as the Delta tunnel project, which would reroute water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California through a massive underground tunnel system.

The administration says the project is necessary to protect water deliveries for 27 million Californians and roughly 750,000 acres of farmland while improving reliability during earthquakes and extreme storm systems.

State officials argue the project would allow California to capture and move more water during large storm events. Newsom's office said atmospheric rivers in 2024 could have provided enough water for nearly 10 million people's yearly usage if the project had already been in place.

The governor also pointed to other major projects, including the proposed Sites Reservoir in Northern California and proposed upgrades at San Luis Reservoir, as part of a broader push to increase water storage capacity statewide.

Delta Counties Coalition pushes back

But Newsom's remarks quickly drew criticism from the Delta Counties Coalition, which accused the administration of minimizing concerns from Delta communities that oppose the tunnel project.

In a statement released after the speech, the coalition said residents and local governments remain concerned about the project's potential impacts on water quality, ecosystems, farms and the regional economy.

"For those who live, work and depend on the Delta for local water supplies, this is not an abstract policy debate or a continuation of past proposals—it is about the future of our homes, our farms, and one of the most important estuaries in the country," the coalition said. "Local governments, residents, and environmental experts have consistently pointed out the project's unacceptable impacts on communities, water quality, ecosystems, and the regional economy—and these concerns remain unresolved."

The coalition also questioned the project's cost and long-term effectiveness, citing concerns over funding for what it described as a more than $20 billion proposal.

"California can meet its water challenges without sacrificing the Delta and the communities that depend on it," the coalition said.

Opposition to the tunnel project has remained strong among some Northern California lawmakers and environmental advocates, even as Newsom has gained support from several major water agencies and districts across the state.

Last year, the Imperial Irrigation District formally endorsed the project, calling it critical to addressing long-term water scarcity.

Meanwhile, critics have argued the proposal could harm local ecosystems and agricultural communities while conflicting with state goals to reduce reliance on Delta water exports.

The project has also faced legal and financial challenges. The Delta Counties Coalition noted the California Supreme Court recently declined to review an appellate court ruling tied to financing issues surrounding the project.

"Perhaps most concerning is the continued focus on a single, decades-old conveyance proposal, rather than investing in a broader portfolio of solutions that would capture, store, and create new water supplies for California," the coalition said. "Regional water self-reliance, storage, recycling, and groundwater recharge, coupled with continued maintenance of our Delta levee system to guard against floods and seismic activity, offer more sustainable and less disruptive paths forward.

Newsom said California's next steps will require broader collaboration among state agencies, local governments and water districts as climate pressures continue intensifying in the coming decades.