Southern California could get 85% of its water locally and avoid Delta tunnel, groups say

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A coalition of conservation groups wants Southern California to get 85% of its water locally, up from the 50% it gets now, by 2045, and says a new plan shows how.It’s urging state leaders to scrap plans for a 45-mile tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and consider asking voters to approve a bond measure to fund local water solutions.The 34-page strategy was released as critical decisions loom for local officials, California’s next governor and legislators.

Over the last century, Southern California has grown and thrived thanks to giant aqueducts it built to bring water from hundreds of miles away — the Eastern Sierra, the Colorado River and Northern California.But with water costs rising and climate change jeopardizing these distant sources, there is growing interest in finding ways to get more water locally.The allied groups are calling for recycling more wastewater, capturing more stormwater, improving efficiency and cleaning up contaminated groundwater.“We have to prioritize our investments, and prioritizing them in local water makes the most sense,” said Bruce Reznik, executive director of the group Los Angeles Waterkeeper.The coalition includes fishing groups, environmental organizations and Northern California’s Winnemem Wintu Tribe.Its plan calls for a “new urban water renaissance” in California that prioritizes local water.

This approach would reliably yield more and cost far less than Gov.Gavin Newsom’s proposed Delta Conveyance Project beneath the Delta.The state estimated in 2024 the tunnel would cost $20.1 billion, but opponents say it could cost three to five times more.

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