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Sacrificing a community for the betterment of the few

April 7, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Governor Gavin Newsom’s Delta Tunnel project poses a threat to the largest estuary in the continental United States and the millions of people who live and work in the area, according to a video produced by CalCoastNews co-founder Daniel Blackburn.

Newsom’s goal is to build a massive tunnel that would convey Sacramento River water around the estuary to corporate farms and cities in Southern California. The scheme would cost ratepayers and taxpayers upwards of $40 billion, which includes the current $20 billion estimate, interest on the bonds, and the inevitable cost overruns for a project of this magnitude.

It would also increase the amount of freshwater diverted from the already beleaguered estuary, limiting water availability for the area’s communities and family farms and devastating fisheries, wildlife and regional water quality while benefiting large corporate agriculture.

“What struck me most about my time in the Delta is this sense the residents have of complete betrayal,” Blackburn said. “The Delta Tunnel will have an immense negative impact on the people and public trust resources of the region, but Newsom is simply ignoring their concerns.

“They rightly feel they are being sacrificed for the benefit of a handful of San Joaquin Valley corporate growers and South State developers,” Blackburn added.

The California Water Impact Network (C-WIN) released a short video last week on the dire threat posed by Governor Newson’s proposed Delta Tunnel project.

Blackburn. who created “Tunnel Trouble: Voices of the Delta.” is an author and journalist who has contributed to a wide range of publications, including California Journal. Blackburn, an advisory board member of C-WIN, also served as the capitol bureau chief for the Orange County Register. He was a senior consultant to the California State Senate’s Rules Committee and spent four years as a media representative for the Metropolitan Water District, the world’s largest water wholesaler.

 


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By design, this is above my pay grade.


-2

Just remember, this is the same guy who brought us the Bullet Train to Nowhere. I am quite confident this project will go just as well.


28

Well, that was Jerry Brown…. He also supported the old Peripheral Canal plan back then.


10

The Delta, and californias “Everglades were changed Dozens of years ago”. Who Gives a Flying Fk. Paso says it won’t stop the 9✓ majority billionaire water suckers until till 2040. So Fk it all.


-13

They have been trying to build a delta bypass, under various names, for at least 50 years that I know about. It will never happen for a myriad of reasons.


17

Make sure you use “Corporate farms”. Look, farms feed people whether they’re owned be corporations, or individuals. We MUST have food. the TUNNEL is a pipe underground. They’re not getting rid of the estuary, they’re going UNDER it. If you’ll google earth the county, you’ll see COUNTLESS structures built on what once was the ground. unless we all grow our own victory gardens we’ll be forced to eat from those “Corporate farms” and buy our food from those “corporate stores” and get our electricity and gas from those Corporate utilities” and buy our cars from those “Corporate manufacturers” How are we going to survive without water to grow food? Drive to Fresno. There are signs complaining that Newsome isn’t allowing farmers access to water. Well, here’s a solution but, it’s “corporate” On any given street, there are gas lines and water lines underground. The estuary will be back to normal in no time. we NEED water. Period.


-7

We already had water for the valley, until Sacramento diverted most of it to protect the invasive Smelt.


We don’t need the tunnel, we simply need the diversions ended.


27

Nothing but a smear piece full of misinformation. If Trump implemented this, the article would be 100% opposite in tone, same with the comments. Suddenly there’s concern about the environment and endangered species? Letting water out of Lopez in the same name is a no though… Hypocrite much?


-23

It’s been pointed out by some that the Lopez release is possibly being done to thwart the legal access to the dunes by visitors . Changing the equation on the supposed Steelhead access.

Cute!

As far as the Delta – No more $$ and no more room on the state credit card. Never gonna happen.


6

This is truly a zombie project that will not die… its proven potential for permanent damage to the region and to all of California is off the charts


29