Public commenters press State Water Board to act after Delta hearing ‘Zoom bombing’ and urge Bay‑Delta plan updates

Chair Joaquin Esquivel opened public forum at the State Water Resources Control Board meeting April 2 by apologizing for a “Zoom bombing” that disrupted an Administrative Hearings Office proceeding last week and announcing staff training and yearly reviews to tighten hearing security. "What happened last week was not meeting that standard," Esquivel said, adding the board would work to rebuild trust.

The largest group of public speakers at the Sacramento meeting represented Restore the Delta and allied organizations; they urged the board to act on a March 19 motion asking the board to cancel the Delta Conveyance Project water‑rights proceeding before the Administrative Hearings Office because, they said, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has repeatedly failed to provide information the hearing officer ordered. "The hearing officer made that initial order last fall and has…