[env-trinity] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS FILE LAWSUIT TO OVERTURN APPROVAL OF TWIN TUNNELS/CALIFORNIA WATERFIX

[Tom Stokely]

_FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEENVIRONMENTAL AND NATIVE AMERICAN GROUPS FILE LAWSUIT TO OVERTURN APPROVAL OF TWIN TUNNELS/CALIFORNIA WATERFIXContacts:North Coast Rivers Alliance (NCRA):  Frank Egger (415) 456-6356Winnemem Wintu Tribe:  Gary Mulkahy (916) 214-8493Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations/Institute for Fisheries Resources:  Noah Oppenheim (415) 561-5080San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association:  Larry Collins (415) 279-1894On August 17, 2017, the North Coast Rivers Alliance (NCRA), Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR), Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA) and the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association filed suit against the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in Sacramento Superior Court to overturn DWR’s approval on July 21, 2017 of the massive, $25 billion Twin Tunnels (or “California WaterFix”) Project.  The Twin Tunnels would divert 9,000 cubic feet per second of water from the Sacramento River near Clarksburg and transport it 35 miles via two tunnels 40-feet in diameter for export to Central and Southern California.  The Twin Tunnels would divert approximately 6.5 million acre-feet of water per year, a quantity sufficient to flood the entire state of Rhode Island under nearly 7 feet of water.  Diverting this staggering quantity of water – equal to most of the Sacramento River’s flow during the summer and fall – would exacerbate the Delta’s severe ecological decline, pushing several imperiled species of salmon and steelhead closer to extinction.  According to Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, “the Twin Tunnels is a hugely expensive boondoggle that could pound the final nail in the coffin of Northern California’s salmon and steelhead fishery.  There is still time to protect these declining stocks from extinction, but taking more water from their habitat will make matters far worse.” Frank Egger, President of the North Coast Rivers Alliance, stated that “the imperiled salmon and steelhead of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers are one of Northern California’s most precious natural resources.  They must not be squandered so that Southern California can avoid taking the water conservation measures that many of us adopted decades ago.”
Caleen Sisk, Chief of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe near Mt. Shasta, stated, “The Winnemem Wintu Tribe has lived on the banks of the McCloud River for thousands of years and our culture is centered on protection and careful, sustainable use of its salmon.  Our salmon were stolen from us when Shasta Dam was built in 1944.  Since that dark time, we have worked tirelessly to restore this vital salmon run through construction of a fishway around Shasta Dam connecting the Sacramento River to its upper tributaries including the McCloud River.  The Twin Tunnels and its companion proposal to raise Shasta Dam by 18 feet would push the remaining salmon runs toward extinction and inundate our ancestral and sacred homeland along the McCloud River.”
Larry Collins, President of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, stated that “Our organization of small, family-owned fishing boats has been engaged in the sustainable harvest of salmon and other commercial fisheries for over 100 years.  By diverting most of the Sacramento River’s flow away from the Delta and San Francisco Bay, the Twin Tunnels would deliver a mortal blow to our industry and way of life.” 
Stephan Volker, attorney for these organizations, filed the suit.  The suit alleges that DWR’s approval of the California WaterFix Project and certification of its Environmental Impact Report violates the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, and the Public Trust Doctrine.  The Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate and Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief is attached.  Additional documents pertaining to the litigation can be obtained from the Volker Law Offices.   

 Tom Stokely Salmon and Water Policy AnalystPacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and Institute for Fisheries Resources530-524-0315 tstokely at att.net 
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