North Coast Rivers Alliance v. Westlands Water District

In February 2012, Westlands Water District and its related distribution districts (together Water Districts or respondents) entered into two-year, interim renewal contracts with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (the Bureau) relating to the Bureau’s ongoing provision of Central Valley Project (CVP) water to Water Districts. The purpose of the interim renewal contracts was to continue the existing terms for water delivery in advance of the parties’ anticipated execution of new, long-term (25-year) renewal contracts, which process was awaiting the Bureau’s completion of environmental documentation necessary for the execution of such long-term agreements. When Water Districts approved the interim renewal contracts, they made specific findings that the renewals were exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.). Accordingly, Water Districts did not undertake their own environmental review prior to such approvals. Thereafter, North Coast Rivers Alliance, Friends of the River, Save the American River Association, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe (collectively petitioners) filed…