Opponents of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan say changes to the project announced Monday are a failed attempt to show sensitivity to Delta communities. The plan includes building two tunnels that would carry water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to central and southern California.
Changes include shrinking the footprint of the entire project by 50 percent and shifting construction away from private lands to public.
"Today's actions reflect conversations with dozens of Delta residents and landowners and the work of engineers looking to propose a better project," said John Laird, Secretary of the California Department of Natural Resources.
But Melinda Terry with the North Delta Water Agency said the changes are only cosmetic.
"There are 48 significant unavoidable impacts imposed on the Delta, and none of these physical changes that they're doing will change that, and so they're not mitigating their project," Terry said.
Under the proposal, 70 fewer structures would be affected and the tunnels would be shortened by five miles.
