Conversation with Nikcole Whipple, Voluntary Agreements and the threat to the Bay Delta

In attribution on Poor People’s Radio Podcast. Conversation with Nikcole Whipple, Save California Salmon.

Water protector, policy advocate, and member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Nikcole Whipple, joined Poor People’s Radio to share about the Bay Delta, the threat of Voluntary Agreements, and how Save California Salmon is organizing to protect the Delta. 

The Bay Delta is the largest estuary on the West Coast. The Feather, American, San Joaquin, and Sacramento Rivers all flow into the Delta, as well as the Trinity River which is diverted into the Delta. The Delta is vital for the migration of salmon, Indigenous connection to waterways, and the drinking supply for almost 27 million people.

Every 10 years, the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan is supposed to be updated by the State Water Board. That hasn't happened in almost 30 years. Now, Governor Newsom is advocating for Voluntary Agreements (VAs). VAs are non-binding agreements that allow the water rights owners to make decisions about water flow with the State Water Board without clear oversight from the public. These agreements postpone updates to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan and provide no accountability for failure to meet guidelines on flow, habitat, pollution, or water temperature- all of which are essential for clean water and the survival of salmon. 

The agreements sideline the public and Tribes from decision making, instead prioritizing the “owners” of water rights who can negotiate deals behind closed doors. Nikcole Whipple who works with Save California Salmon, an organization committed to policy and community advocacy for Northern California salmon and fish dependent people, shares about the lack of accountability in Voluntary Agreements. 

“Today we are fighting against the voluntary agreements because there is a fast track of “you have a water right, you have water right, go ahead and talk amongst yourselves”. Forget all of the Federal and State laws and policies and guidance that have been written and put into the place. You go about yourselves as water right holders and decide and determine how much water you will allow or how much you will charge. That’s very dangerous not only for our fish populations in the rivers, but also for communities to have access to clean drinking water which is a huge problem,” Whipple said.

Whipple comes from a family of advocates and fish dependent people on the Mendocino coast, and has been called to protect waterways. After getting an internship with Save California Salmon, one of Whipple’s first tasks was to attend a State Water Board meeting. 

“I sat there with our staff attorney and our Executive Director for like 3 days straight listening to all of the bs about how making false habitats and making Delta tunnels were good for the environment and going to make things better for the Bay Delta and all of our river systems…In the meantime, I’m travelling in and out of the Bay Area and I'm looking at the water like that's not good. That can’t be good. Why are these politicians lying, why are these scientists lying about all of this when the water is so poor”.

Instead of honoring ancestral protection of the waterways and working with Tribes to care for the Delta, the Voluntary Agreements and State Water Board push out many Tribal members from conversations and consultation. As Whipple shares, this legacy is directly tied to colonization. 

“California really has a poor history on how water rights became. Colonizers were going in and taking Tribal peoples land, rights, and waters,” Whipple said. 

In resistance and opposition to the Voluntary Agreements, Save Save California Salmon hosted public comment trainings and gathered people for a rally at the State Water Resources Control Board hearing (January 28-30). For folks wanting to get involved, they will continue to provide training and education for campaigns and continue the fight to protect salmon and community connection to a healthy Bay Delta. You can find Save California Salmon online at their website or on social media.