An application submitted by the Delta Conveyance Finance Authority (DCFA) seeking $1.6 billion in federal funding to support the California WaterFix project has raised some eyebrows.

The application indicates dates for the issuance of construction permits and the start of tunnel construction.

“They emphatically state that they’re going to have the permit in their hand on Dec. 14 and construction begins Dec. 15,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. “So either the permit in front of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is a fait accompli or these guys are just straight out lying to the federal government and marching in with a lot of hubris.”