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Tribal members, farmers and conservationists press supervisors to oppose Del Puerto Canyon reservoir
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the board the proposed Del Puerto Canyon reservoir threatens indigenous cultural sites, wildlife and downstream communities; tribal representatives cited burial sites and grinding rocks and asked the board to withdraw support and stop endorsing county funding for the project.
Public commenters from across the county used the June 16 Board of Supervisors meeting to urge the board to oppose plans for a Del Puerto Canyon reservoir and to withdraw any endorsement or advocacy of matching funds.
Elias Funez said representatives of Tule River Yokuts have found culturally significant features inside the proposed footprint, including burial grounds, grinding rocks and an ancestral pathway, and that those tribal members are mobilized in opposition. "Following various site visits to the canyon by Yokuts members, they have indicated that the sites within the entrance of Del Puerto Canyon are very significant to them and their ancestors, whose burial grounds still inhabit that area," Funez said.
Farmer Jean Okuye said water is too precious to be diverted away from local farms and argued for groundwater recharge and other historically rooted water management instead of a 260-foot earthen dam. Rhonda Allen warned of biodiversity and seismic risks, citing golden eagles, California red-legged frogs and the Tesla fault zone as reasons to reject flooding the canyon.
Several speakers referenced a reported $18 million in matching funds that had been listed in the county's 2026 legislative platform; Elias Funez said Supervisor Chance Condit had informed opponents that the line would be removed. At the meeting the chair reiterated that the county has not approved the project and does not have jurisdiction over the Del Puerto Water District's decision-making.
The board did not take a formal action on the reservoir at the June 16 meeting; public commenters asked supervisors to make any county-level support contingent on review of cultural, environmental and seismic impacts.
Next steps: Speakers asked the board to refrain from endorsing or providing county matching funds and to consult with documented tribal entities about cultural resources. The boards public statement at the meeting clarified that approval for the project rests with the Del Puerto Water District, not the county.
