The first water agency to weigh in on the $17 billion water tunnel project proposed for California's Bay Delta delivered a potentially fatal blow to the project.

Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow report: "A large agricultural district Tuesday dealt a potentially fatal blow to Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels project, voting overwhelmingly not to help pay for the $17 billion plan to remake the fragile estuary that serves as the hub of California’s water delivery network."
"Westlands Water District’s board of directors, following more than an hour of debate over the tunnels’ costs, voted 7-1 against participating in the project, known officially as California WaterFix," add Kasler and Sabalow.
The article describes the decision by Westlands as a "huge blow." The district would have funded a $3 billion share of the project. Ryan Sabalow also took to Twitter to share the opinion of one of Southern California's most powerful water executives, Metropolitan Water District General manager Jeff Kightlinger.
Metropolitan GM Kightlinger to me: "Absent Westlands, you don't have a (tunnels) project."
— Ryan Sabalow (@RyanSabalow) September 19, 2017
The article includes a lot more detail about the thinking behind the Westlands decision, as well as the political context the decision will affect.
This isn't the first bad news for the California WaterFix project to emerge in September. Earlier this month, the Associated press reported that an audit had revealed improper spending on the project by the federal government.
FULL STORY: Farming district says it won’t pay for Delta tunnels in a vote that could kill the project

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

Demise of Entertainment Industry Mirrors Demise of Housing in LA
Making movies has a lot in common with developing real estate: producers = developers; screenwriters = architects; directors = general contractors. The similarities are more than trivial. Both industries are now hurting in L.A.

How Public Spaces Exclude Teen Girls
Adolescent girls face unique challenges and concerns when navigating public spaces. We can design cities with their needs in mind.

Proposed Ohio Budget Preserves Housing Trust Fund
The Senate-approved budget also creates two new programs aimed at encouraging housing construction.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)