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 reiterated its propriety on at least two occasions," San Francisco Baykeeper managing attorney Eric Buescher told the board during public forum, citing Water Code sections governing required disclosures.

Why it matters: speakers said the combination of delayed data from DWR, long‑overdue Bay‑Delta Plan updates and recent political turbulence is harming Delta communities, fisheries and local economies. Restore the Delta speakers described public‑health concerns linked to harmful algal blooms, declining salmon returns and economic impacts to Delta fishermen and farmers. Morgan Snyder, policy analyst for Restore the Delta, urged the board to act on the March 19 motion to cancel the proceeding, saying the Administrative Hearings Officer lacks the authority to compel DWR to produce the requested information and that the delay disadvantages environmental justice groups.

Speakers also urged the board to update the Bay‑Delta Plan with numeric objectives and to resume mandated three‑year reviews. "Without numeric flow objectives, proper water quality cannot be achieved," Artie Valencia, flood and land restoration manager with Restore the Delta, said. Several speakers repeated economic figures citing Delta losses and job impacts tied to deteriorating water quality.

Multiple commenters raised concerns about public participation and the security and accessibility of virtual hearings after the March 24 incident. Restore the Delta's Mackenzie Owens and communications coordinator Ashley Castaneda said the disruption and subsequent communication delays eroded community trust and called for clear accountings of the incident, documented remedies, and rehearsals of AV procedures before future hearings.

Other public comments ranged from requests for timely Title VI complaint resolution to broader calls for the board to use its authorities to protect tribal and community rights in water management. Cynthia Cortez, policy program manager with Restore the Delta, asked the board to resolve a Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition Title VI complaint the commenters said has been pending for months.

The chair and chief counsel, Michael Laufer, cautioned speakers about ex parte restrictions tied to active AHO proceedings but said the Zoom security incident and procedural questions about the motion to cancel were appropriate topics for public forum. Laufer advised that comments focus on procedural issues or requests that the board take up a motion outside the AHO process.

The public forum concluded after roughly an hour of comments; Chair Esquivel reiterated the board’s commitment to open, respectful proceedings and acknowledged that trust must be rebuilt after the disruption.