Tribal nations press California officials over Bay Delta water plan

Tribal leaders raised concerns about California’s Bay Delta Plan during recent State Water Resources Control Board hearings, according to Community Alliance. The proposed plan would set unimpaired river flow levels into the San Francisco Bay Delta estuary between 35% and 55%, replacing a 2018 version that allowed up to 75% flow.

Vincent Pena, tech manager for the Wilton Rancheria, was quoted as saying the draft plan and its associated environmental analysis “fail to reasonably protect tribal beneficial uses.” Community Alliance also quoted Pena as saying that the plan lacks meaningful “government-to-government consultation.” Regina Chichizola, executive director of Save California’s Salmon, said tribal beneficial uses must be protected with enforceable measures. Brian Wallace, former chair of the Washoe Tribe, and Frankie Meyers, a consultant for the Yurok Nation, also called for recognition of tribal decision-making authority and Indigenous ecological knowledge, Community Alliance reported.