According to CalMatters Housing, there's growing concern about how Governor Newsom's administration is handling major land and water policy decisions in California. Environmental leaders and tribal representatives are frustrated by what they describe as a pattern of closed-door negotiations and backroom dealmaking that keeps the public out of decisions affecting their communities and livelihoods.
The critique focuses on several interconnected projects, including the Delta Conveyance Project, voluntary water agreements, and California Forever, the ambitious development proposal that would bring hundreds of thousands of new residents to Solano County. These initiatives are being pursued with limited public input and transparency, according to the reporting, while powerful interests like billionaires, lobbyists, and administration insiders have disproportionate influence over outcomes.
The water situation in California is particularly strained. Commercial salmon fishing was shut down for three consecutive years because of excessive water diversions that raised temperatures and harmed salmon reproduction, costing the industry tens of millions of dollars. While fishing has recently reopened, the underlying policies that created those problems haven't changed, and new water agreements could worsen the imbalance in a system that's already oversubscribed.
California Forever presents another layer of concern. The project would introduce massive new water demands to a system that cannot currently meet existing commitments, especially as Native American tribes continue fighting for water rights they've long been denied. Meanwhile, farmers in the Delta region are already losing land and water supply, all while these decisions proceed without their meaningful participation.
The criticism highlights what community advocates see as a disconnect between the closed processes being used and the expectations for transparent governance. Tribes and affected communities argue they have a right to meaningful input when projects directly impact their economic survival and the resources they depend on.
What I am seeing locally in the Bay Area and East Bay is that these water policy battles upstream ultimately affect every one of our clients, whether they're buying, selling, or holding property. When water becomes more scarce and expensive, or when development patterns are determined by backroom deals rather than community planning, it reshapes market values and neighborhood character in ways nobody can predict.
