Story perspectives

Council Clears $20B Tunnel Hurdle Amid Farm, Eco Opposition

5/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Delta Stewardship Council ordered department to address two challenges, clearing a hurdle for Governor Gavin Newsom’s $20 billion tunnel.
Residents and Duane Martin Jr. say the tunnel will destroy farms, while managers plan a 600-acre site and a 214-acre, 15-foot-tall mound on his pasture.
Courts have blocked the financing plan, leaving no agency committed and prompting environmental groups to warn of algal blooms, declining fish and risk for the Delta ecosystem.

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Story summary

Delta Stewardship Council ordered department to address two challenges, clearing a hurdle for Governor Gavin Newsom’s $20 billion tunnel.
Residents and Duane Martin Jr. say the tunnel will destroy farms, while managers plan a 600-acre site and a 214-acre, 15-foot-tall mound on his pasture.
Courts have blocked the financing plan, leaving no agency committed and prompting environmental groups to warn of algal blooms, declining fish and risk for the Delta ecosystem.