Fong, Valadao Condemn California State Water Resources Control Board’s Bay-Delta Plan Bait and Switch

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Vince Fong (CA-20) and David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement criticizing the State Water Resources Control Board Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan:

“In 2022, after years of negotiations, California’s public water agencies came together in good faith and agreed on a science-based path forward for the Bay-Delta. Four years later, the State Water Board has walked away from that agreement and moved the goalposts. Central Valley families are the ones who will pay the price for this bait and switch.

“An unelected board in Sacramento is once again telling farmers, workers, and businesses that their water needs come last.  Water districts and communities across California need certainty, not shifting rules that guarantee years of delay and litigation. Higher costs and more regulation are not the answer. While the federal government is working to deliver more water to Californians, the State Water Board keeps finding new ways to take it away. The Board must stop jeopardizing California’s water supply and deliver a viable path forward.”

After years of negotiations, California's public water agencies established a science-based path forward for the Bay-Delta in 2022, which was supported by public water agencies across the state, the California Secretary of Natural Resources, the California Secretary for Environmental Protection, and the Bureau of Reclamation through a Memorandum of Understanding. Unfortunately, the State Water Resources Control Board has disregarded the agreed upon plan and produced a flawed product that fundamentally undermines what parties negotiated for years in good faith.

The new plan, released on August 19, 2026, changes how water contributions are counted, reduces the credit water users receive for commitments already made, and removes the limits on future demands — leaving more uncertainty than when negotiations began. 

The Central Valley is the food production capital of the nation, growing nearly a quarter of the food on Americans' tables. Without reliable water resources, the foundation of our region's economy and the entire nation's food supply is at risk.

Congressman Fong has fought to ensure the federal government delivers on its commitment to Central Valley water users and prevent Sacramento's overreach from undermining collaborative efforts to bring California’s water management practices into the 21st century. Since being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, he has:

• Secured  $1 billion in western water infrastructure funding in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, with $540 million going specifically to California dams, canals, and water projects.
• Secured  $5 million to combat invasive golden mussels in the FY2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
• Secured several local wins in the Water Resources Development Act, including for the Pine Flat Dam Raise, Eastman Lake Enlargement, Airborne Snow Observatories, and Wildfire Risk Assessment for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams and reservoirs. 
• Introduced the Water Infrastructure Resiliency Act to strengthen communities’ water systems and safeguard waterways.
• Secured  $1 million for the City of Lemoore to purchase advanced metering infrastructure to improve water conservation, detect leaks, and protect groundwater resources.
• Secured  $2 million for Groundwater Recharge Basin F Project to expand stormwater capture and improve groundwater quality in the Kaweah Subbasin.
• Secured  $14.6 million to finalize operational requirements for the expanded reservoir at Lake Success, improving flood protection and water reliability for Tulare County. 

• Secured  $2 million to establish 3,300 acres of groundwater recharge basins in the Fresno Irrigation District, Consolidated Irrigation District, and Alta Irrigation districts to provide reliable groundwater supplies to farmers as well as local communities.