Friday Top of the Scroll: California judge grants injunction in water conveyance project
A Sacramento County judge on Thursday ruled in favor of several water districts and local governments over California’s planned delta tunnel project that would divert water from Northern California to the south of the state, saying that exploratory work can’t continue until the state completes a necessary certification process. The decision by Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto is a win for the groups that had argued the state Department of Water Resources hadn’t completed all documentation required by the California Environmental Quality Act and complied with the Delta Plan. The department had sought to perform geotechnical work, like initial drilling and the installation of monitoring equipment. … An attorney for the groups argued at a May hearing that drilling holes, along with other moves, did physically change the environment. That meant it fell under the act’s purview, and the department didn’t yet have the authority. On Thursday, Acquisto agreed.
Related articles:
- Delta Counties Coalition news release: Court blocks geotechnical investigations DWR claims are essential to its delta tunnel project
- News release: State Water Contractors respond to narrow interpretation of law creating unnecessary delays in Delta Conveyance Project