The State Water Resources Control Board (“SWRCB” or “The Water Board”) will be hearing testimony and listening to public comment during a public comment workshop on October 28 and 29 at 9:00am, with the possibility of adding an additional day on Friday, October 30 if there are a surplus of speakers on whether to enact the flimsy Voluntary Agreements or change course and enforce a comprehensive Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (“Bay-Delta Plan”). The Board will be voting on whether or not to adopt the final draft version of the Plan after the public comment hearing.
The Bay-Delta Plan is a crucial regulatory tool that the Water Board updated in an August 2026 final draft update. Unfortunately, the Water Board opted for the Voluntary Agreements route - a set of flimsy, opt-in water flow contributions from water exporters that will only worsen ecological conditions through the Delta. Meaningful Bay-Delta Plan updates have been delayed now for decades and the ecosystem is collapsing because of it. Our regulators must stand up for the environment and commit to enacting the Plan using the best available science based flow standards, and we need your help to convince them of it!
What to expect beforehand:
On Wednesday, October 21, at 7:00 pm, the Bay Delta Flows Coalition is hosting a public comment training webinar to introduce the public to the Bay-Delta Plan and train attendees on how to comment confidently at the Bay-Delta Plan hearing.
We highly encourage all Sierra Club members to attend this training - no technical experience required! Commenting at a hearing can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be and we want to support you in advocating for a sustainable water future.
Golden State Salmon Association (GSSA) will also be hosting a public comment speaker training on Monday, October 26th at 7:00PM.
What to expect day of:
On Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29, starting at 9:00am the Water Board will hear public comment from a range of stakeholders. RSVP for the day of your choice, and we will message you when public comment is set to begin so you can log on to their Zoom link. We need you and your community to speak up to drown out the comments from water contractors and lobbyists supporting the VAs.
On Thursday, October 29 at noon, Communities United for Water Protection (CUWP) will be holding a rally outside of the State Water Boarding hearing at the Cal EPA building at 1001 I Street in downtown Sacramento. If you are attending the public comment workshop in person, please join us for this rally!
Instructions to Comment at the Bay-Delta Plan Workshops:
- Sign-up to comment during the three-day hearing via this virtual speaker card form.
- Be on the lookout for an email from the Clerk to the Water Board who will respond to your form before the workshop with the information needed to remotely comment at the meeting.
Plan to log onto the meeting’s Zoom link around 9:00am and have it run in the background, but we will message everyone who RSVPs shortly ahead of when they are scheduled to speak so you don’t have to listen in for more the entire time.
Talking points to help inform your comments are linked here. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Molly Culton at molly.culton@sierraclub.org.
Thank you for your commitment to the Bay Delta and water sustainability!
