ACWA Comments in Support of HRL Program Before State Water Board by ACWA Staff Feb 2, 2026 Water News SACRAMENTO — ACWA staff and member agency representatives and organizations spoke in support of including the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (HRL) Program in the Bay-Delta Plan Update during a State Water Resources Control Board hearing Jan. 28-30. Their public comments were the latest in ACWA’s years-long effort through public testimony, comment letters and coalition building to support the HRL Program, formerly known as Voluntary Agreements. The State Water Board is currently considering potential updates to the Sacramento River watershed, Delta eastside tributaries, and Delta portions of the Bay-Delta Plan. ACWA supports the HRL Program as the preferred pathway for updating the Bay-Delta Plan as opposed to an approach based solely on a percentage of flows. Speaking on Jan. 30, ACWA State Relations Advocate Stephen Pang thanked State Water Board members and staff for their work on updating the Bay-Delta Plan, and for allowing public comment during multiple hearings. “Finally, we’d ask that the State Water Board do everything you can to advance and adopt the Sacramento-Delta update to the Bay-Delta Plan in a timely manner,” Pang said. “Finalizing the update will deliver the ecological assets required to restore species and habitats that can’t afford delay, while at the same time, providing the regulatory foundation needed to sustain economic productivity, maintain affordability and protect public health.” ACWA is also submitting written comments with technical feedback about the HRL Program’s incorporation in the updated Bay-Delta Plan. ACWA was among several organizations speaking in support of the HRL Program, many of which highlighted the success of HRL programs already underway and producing results, as outlined in a State Water Contractors news release about the hearings. The State Water Board is expected to consider approval of the draft final Sacramento/Delta updates by the end of 2026. Additional information and background is available online on ACWA’s website.
