OPINION: Delta Water Tunnel Vote Raises Question of What’s Next?
The East Bay and California as a whole greatly benefited Tuesday when the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board courageously stood up to Gov. Jerry Brown and rejected his $17 billion plan to build twin water tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. But the unanimous vote against the 35-mile long, four-story tall tunnels begs the huge question of: What next? We need to ensure the Bay Area and state water supply while also maintaining the health of the fragile Delta, the largest estuary west of the Mississippi.