SoCal water approves $141M for rain capture amid funding, environmental concerns

The Southern California Metropolitan Water District (MWD) voted overwhelmingly to provide $141.6 million for “planning and preconstruction costs” for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). This accounts for 47.2% of the $300 million requested by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) from California’s water agencies.

The Delta Conveyance Project will capture excess water flows from the Sacramento River by constructing two new intakes in the north Delta and a single tunnel that connects to the California Aqueduct through the Bethany Reservoir.

“If the Delta Conveyance Project had been operational during the atmospheric river storms of early 2024, enough water could have been captured to provide water to 9.8 million Californians for an entire year,” reads a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Future savings of this kind would help to offset a projected 22% loss of SWP water supplies by 2070 due to climate change.”

Additionally, another proposed benefit of the DCP is to protect against the risk of an earthquake cutting off water supplies from millions of Californians as there is currently a 72% of a 6.7 magnitude earthquake or higher in the area before 2043.

“California’s aging water infrastructure is not designed to cope with changing precipitation patterns resulting from climate change, including intense swings between droughts and floods and a less reliable Sierra Nevada snowpack,” reads the release. “The Delta Conveyance Project will help to safely capture, move and store water from big, but infrequent, storm events while also protecting against sea level rise and earthquakes.”

However, some community members and stakeholders are concerned about the financial burden placed on MWD and their ratepayers. The MWD supplies water for 19 million people and just recently said they would be raising its rates by 8.5% in 2025 due to declining revenues fueled by increased water conservation.

“Met[ropolitan] is hemorrhaging money right now and cannot afford this project,” said Katie Wagner with The Sierra Club. “Are you making a decision that is truly best for Met’s budget or are you feeling pressure from Secretary Crowfoot or Gov. Newsom?”

However, MWD Director Jay Lewitt noted that as the Southern California district is responsible for the majority of the funding, if MWD does not vote in favor of funding the DCP, the project most likely wouldn’t happen.

The MWD was able to secure a commitment from DWR that they would receive a $75 million refund in past SWP payments before January 2026.

Other concerns about the DCP are the environmental and cultural impacts of the construction needed to create the tunnel. The DWR released a California Environmental Quality Act, looking at the potential significant negative impacts of the tunnel.

One notable impact is the disturbance and destruction of sacred tribal land and resources.

“The Project would materially impair affiliated Tribes’ ability to physically, spiritually, or ceremonially experience these character-defining features: the Delta as a holistic place that is a Tribal homeland and place of origin, terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal species habitats that are part of the Delta’s ecosystem and the heritage of Tribes, ethnohistorical locations that are sacred places and historically important, archaeological sites, and views and vistas of and from the Delta that are sacred and important to the heritage of Tribes,” reads the report.

The report also notes that the nature of the impact on tribal resources is unknown because the DWR has not yet identified any. However, they’ve determined that the disturbance is unavoidable.

“DCP ground disturbance will without a doubt impair and damage vital cultural resources including sacred sites and the resting places of ancestors,” said Crystal Moreno with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians speaking out against funding the DCP without further investigation into how tribal lands can be protected.

The majority of the funding coming from the MWD will support geotechnical and engineering activities, confirmation of ground conditions for tunnelling, find additional engineering design innovation and inform future cost estimates.

Furthermore, the MWD has the ability to terminate their financial obligations if a condition is found that adversely affects the DCP’s benefits or if the DWR is unable to obtain the needed exceptions and litigation to construct the DCP. Additionally, the funds that are to be used for geotechnical soil investigations won’t be due until the DWR has the legal authority to do so.

“Thanks to today’s vote by the Metropolitan Water District, the Delta Conveyance Project now has the continued support of water districts serving more than half our state,” Newsom said. “This project is one of the nation's most important infrastructure projects in generations because it will protect access to clean and safe drinking water for 27 million Californians.”