Monday October 5, 2026
KCRA —
California state agencies have quietly been using confidentiality agreements to keep some scientific data and discussions behind the Newsom administration’s updated Bay-Delta plan a secret, raising concerns about transparency in the rule-making process.
The California State Water Resources Control Board is set to vote later this month on the updated Bay-Delta plan, a massive policy proposal that aims to balance water needs for communities and agriculture while protecting fish, wildlife, and the environment in the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
State officials have denied they are hiding anything and maintain the process has been transparent.
The proposed update to the Bay-Delta plan heavily relies on voluntary agreements, deals negotiated between state agencies and major water users, such as farmers. The deals involve larger water users providing water and funding for environmental purposes in exchange for more certainty around their water supply.