2025 Year in Review: Building on Our Foundation

As we close out 2025, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the milestones we met as an organization to solidify our foundation so that we can build a more resilient and sustainable future for our farms, ranches, businesses and communities.

Thanks to coordinated efforts with the Bureau of Reclamation and partner agencies, all Settlement Contractors had full water supplies available under contract. This assurance allowed us to shift our focus from drought mitigation to long-term strategic actions.

Key achievements from this year include:

·       Drought Protection Program: Successfully implemented the Drought Protection Plan Agreement, distributing all available funds to participating contractors. The DPP is a series of investments that will lead to improved water supply reliability in future years to benefit our farms, communities, economy, and the environment.

·       Fishery Recovery Efforts: Initiated the Winter Run Action Plan (WRAP) in coordination with state and federal agencies and our expert consultant teams.

·       Major Fish and Wildlife Investment: At the December 11 meeting, the Board approved $2.5 million for science and projects dedicated to Sacramento River fisheries. These funds will serve as a catalyst to leverage additional state and federal funding for the WRAP and other species’ recovery efforts.

·       Participating in Water Policy Decisions: We remain active in monitoring and participating in critical water management actions to ensure the best outcome for the Settlement Contractors. First, the Bureau of Reclamation announced an update to its Central Valley Project Record of Decision called Action 5, which will mean revised operations of its Delta facilities. Second, we are one of 33 agencies representing 32-million Californians from Redding to San Diego that is encouraging the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to pass the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program as the board undergoes an update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The HRL program will best use water for multi-beneficial uses, and adopt strategies that pairs habitat creation with functional flows to benefit salmon.

As we look to next year, we know 2026 will bring a fresh set of challenges and opportunities. Our priority remains the protection of your water rights and supply reliability. Our 2026 roadmap includes:

·       Operational Advocacy: We are and will continue to track weather patterns and will engage with Reclamation to secure favorable project operations for the 2026 delivery season.

·       Defending Your Water Rights: We are actively participating in SWRCB hearings and meetings to advocate for our Healthy Rivers and Landscape proposal over unimpaired flow mandates.

·       Shasta Operations: Partnering with Reclamation as they review the Record of Decision regarding Shasta Dam operations and Sacramento River fisheries.

·       Project Implementation: As part of our coalition building and partnerships in place, we will continue to implement habitat projects up and down the Sacramento River to help boost salmon populations.

·       Growth & Communication: We will continue to onboard new contractors and ensure our members stay informed and represented. Lastly, we will continue to do outreach to outside partners, public, agency staff and elected officials on the efforts, concerns and needs of Settlement Contractors.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your family and I look forward to connecting with you in 2026.