Start by introducing yourself — who are you, and why do you care about this issue?
Pick a bullet point or two to include in your message.
• The San Francisco Bay Delta is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, but it’s on the verge of ecological collapse. Six fish species are listed as endangered or threatened, and the salmon-based ecosystem is in free fall.
• In an average year, half of the freshwater that would naturally flow from Central Valley rivers into the Bay Delta is diverted. In some years, two-thirds is diverted. This has impacted the entire food web, from plankton to orcas that eat salmon in the Pacific Ocean. The Bay Delta desperately needs more freshwater inflow. The Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan is the solution!
• Phase 1 of the Bay Delta Plan, which aims to restore the Bay Delta and rivers that feed it, was adopted by the State Water Board in 2018 but has yet to be implemented because Governor Newson has been distracted by his pursuit of Voluntary Agreements (VAs). The VAs are not based on credible science and do not have an adequate backup plan if they fail. The National Marine Fisheries Service commissioned a peer review of the fish models upon which the Tuolumne River VA is based, and found major flaws.
• The State Water Board should be directed to resume work on the Bay-Delta Plan immediately.
Additional facts are available at https://www.tuolumne.org/
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