​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Delta Tunnel

​What Is The Delta Tunnel?​​

​The Delta Tunnel project is the latest version of a massive water infrastructure project that would divert water from the Sacramento River at Hood and Courtland, and put it in a 40+ mile tunnel 40 feet access to be exported to State Water Project contractors. Could also be used for wheeling Central Valley Project water.
 

Other names

  • Peripheral Canal (1940's to 1982)
  • Bay Delta ​Conservation Plan (2008-2014)
  • ​California​s Water ​Fix (2015-2019)
  • Delta Conveyance (current)
     

​Why Is The Tunnel So Damaging?

Conveyance of Previously Stored Water with Proposed Project

  • Primarily in the summer, previously stored water in the Oroville is released as inflow into the Delta
  • Some of the ​flow passes through cross channels to the central and south Delta export locations and some would be diverted through the tunnel
  • This alternative path to the exports would lessen the saline ocean water entering into the Delta interior and lessen the need for additional water for Delta outflow 

    A map showing the inflow of water and how the tunner diversion will disrupt the outflow of the water in the Delta

Routes For The Tunnel Being Considered By The CA Department Of Water Resource​

Project would​ include

  • Two 3,000 cubic feet per second intakes at Hood and Courtland (each almost 1 mile long)
  • 40+ miles of 40’ in diameter tunnel buried 150 feet down with shafts
  • Southern Complex Facilities: Pump Station, Forebay
  • 14 years of construction
  • Heavy truck trips on I-5 and local roads (200,000+ truck trips)

Project does not include

  • Any local benefits (e.g., water supplies)

​Cost

$16 billion +

A map showing the different routes being considered by the State at a cost of 16 billion dollars.

​Existing and Simulated Views of Intake 2 East from South River Road. ​Each screen is over 1,300 feet long - almost 4 football fields.

Picture of the current landscape near County road 141 and a simulated view of intake which would be almost 400 yards along South River Road

​Intake 3 Site Access Routes​.

Maps showing current roads and a proposed road that would be built for hauling materials to the construction from Lambert to Hood Franklin Road

Tunnel Construction

The Delta Conveyance Project Permitting and Review Status is Nowhere Near Done​

Diagram of the tunnel boring machine that would be used during the project which is expected to chip through the rock and is expected to take a decade to complete.