California may not enter private land to do environmental and soil tests for the proposed Sacramento Delta big tunnels unless it plans to exercise eminent domain to seize the land, ruled an appeals court. The decision effectively blocks preliminary work on the tunnels from proceeding. California wants to enter that private land so they can drill test wells (then fill them with concrete), trap animals, take soil samples, and basically do whatever they want. The state is certain to appeal the decision. However, for now, this dreadful project is dead in the water.
The Twin Tunnels would shunt water around the Sacramento Delta, sending it southward to Big Ag in the San Joaquin Valley and to southern California. A state “environmental review”, or perhaps it should be called a “pre-determined agenda” actually said with a straight face the already stressed Delta would greatly benefit from far less water flowing into it.