San Francisco stands with Ranchers? SF Utilities Commission opposes bill to make Scott/Shasta Emergency Regulations permanent—hearing slated for April 8
Who would have thought Siskiyou County ranchers would be thanking the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for their support! On March 27, 2025, the Commission wrote a letter opposing Assembly Bill 263, which would make the Scott/Shasta emergency regulations final until the State Water Board comes up with “permanent” instream flow regulations for the Scott and Shasta rivers. The bill "sets a bad precedent which undermines current standards of procedural due process," the letter reads. It “effectively places the Shasta River and Scott River watersheds into an indefinite curtailment that is no longer based on a drought-related emergency,” having “no firm end date or requirements that necessitate an updated inspection of drought findings in the Shasta River or Scott River watersheds.”
AB 263 was not introduced by Scott/Shasta’s assemblyman, but by District 2 Assemblyman Chris Rogers of Santa Rosa. A hearing will be held on the bill on April 8 at 9 a.m. in the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife (go to Hearings | California State Assembly). Written testimony can be provided using this online form: California Legislature Position Letter Portal
Meanwhile, Scott River basin snowpack for April 2025 is 131% according to the latest snow survey (NOTE: the survey was done before the last major storm at the end of March.) Annual precipitation for Water Year 2024-25 is at 133% of average—or 107% for the entire water year through September 30th, 2025! This winter’s good snowpack follows two previous good winters and average precipitation years from 2022 to 2024. We are not in a drought!
