Newsom’s Delta Tunnel Plan Collapses After Outcry Over Environmental, Salmon Risk
Tribes, environmental groups, fishing organizations, farmers, and elected officials across six counties are celebrating a major win for California’s rivers and fisheries. On Sept. 10, Governor Gavin Newsom’s trailer bills to fast-track the massive Delta Tunnel collapsed after no legislator agreed to carry them forward.
The controversial project, estimated to cost between $20 billion and $100 billion, would divert water from the Sacramento River before it flows through the Delta. Independent scientists warned that move could have spelled the end for struggling fish populations, including Sacramento River spring and winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon, and Delta smelt.
Salmon advocates said the tunnel would collapse fisheries already teetering on the brink — a loss that would devastate not only ecosystems but also the coastal communities and families who rely on salmon for their livelihoods.
“Governor Newsom marked the 175th anniversary of California’s statehood by praising our shared history and future in his State of the State letter; yet, he was attempting to write salmon, fishing families, and entire coastal communities out of California’s future with his Delta Tunnel and CEQA trailer bills,” said Scott Artis, Executive Director of the Golden State Salmon Association.
“California won’t be the Golden State if it destroys its rivers, silences tribes, or sacrifices working families for the benefit of a handful of wealthy water contractors,” added Artis. “These bills would have done exactly that.”
Opposition to the bills was broad and vocal, uniting more than 50 organizations and generating thousands of calls and emails to lawmakers. Delta Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Jerry McNerney and Assemblywoman Lori Wilson praised the defeat, calling it a victory for transparency, tribal inclusion, and environmental protection. They pointed to alternatives like levee upgrades, expanded water recycling, and groundwater storage as smarter solutions to California’s water challenges.
For now, Northern California’s salmon runs have earned a reprieve. But with pressure from powerful water interests in Southern California, advocates say the fight to protect the Delta and its rivers is far from over.
