Newsom's push to fast-track Delta water tunnel stalls

The governor's plan fails to advance in the Legislature before this week's deadline.

- BY IAN JAMES

NICK SHOCKEY California Department of Water Resources THE Chipps Island restoration project aims to help native species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and some of California's major water agencies hit a setback this week when a proposal to fast-track plans for a 45-mile water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta died in the state Legislature.

Newsom has been trying to streamline legal and environmental review of the proposed water tunnel through budget measures that also would give the state authority to issue bonds to pay for the project.

Delta lawmakers said they were pleased that the governor's proposal failed to move forward in the final days of the legislative session.

Sen. Jerry McNerney (DPleasanton) called it a "major victory for California and the Delta." "The tunnel project not only would devastate much of the Delta region, but is also unaffordable and unnecessary," McNerney said.

"It's very expensive. It's very damaging to the environment." He said the Newsom administration and supporters of the proposed Delta Conveyance Project had been trying to get legislators on board, "but they still just didn't have the total support they'd need to get this through." Newsom can try again next year. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comments.