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Tribal groups and advocates ask State Water Board to extend Bay-Delta Plan comment period
Summary
Multiple conservation and tribal groups urged the State Water Resources Control Board to extend the public comment period on the Bay-Delta Plan update — citing limited access during holiday release timing, winter storm travel and internet outages in rural areas — and requested resolution of a pending civil-rights complaint before moving forward.
A coalition of conservation groups and tribal representatives told the State Water Resources Control Board on Jan. 6 that the board should extend the written-comment period on the updated Bay-Delta Plan and delay hearings so communities most affected have time to review and participate.
"We would like to reiterate our request to extend the deadline until at least April 3 and to hold hearings and workshops after this date," said Tricia Velasquez, Central Valley organizer at Save California Salmon, during the board's public forum. Velasquez said the current timeline provides "barely a month to review such an extensive and impactful document" and coincides with year-end holidays and winter storms that limit rural internet and travel.
Cynthia Cortez, policy program manager with Restore the Delta, asked the board to grant a 60-day extension for the December 12 revised Bay-Delta Plan update. Cortez also urged the board to resolve a civil-rights complaint submitted by the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC) to the EPA — which she said has been pending for more than three years — before proceeding with the updates.
Regina Chicozola, who also spoke at the public forum, echoed the requests for more time and said federal changes (including recent Bureau of Reclamation decisions and a new biological opinion) have altered assumptions underlying parts of the plan and warrant additional review time.
Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel acknowledged the comments and said the board would issue a response, noting that much of the material released in December is "significantly similar" to documents released in July. Esquivel added the board would follow up and provide a response to the commenters.
No formal action to change deadlines or hearing dates occurred during the meeting. The board did not publicly set a new timeline; members said staff would respond to requests and provide follow-up information.
The public requests highlight two recurring themes for the board: ensuring meaningful tribal consultation and equitable access for rural communities when the agency releases substantial regulatory text. Advocates said extra time would enable deeper review of more than 3,000 pages of regulatory text and better participation by tribal governments and rural residents.
