The EPA is investigating how California manages its water following complaints from tribes

By ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration has agreed to investigate how California manages its water. Some Native American tribes and environmental groups say the state has discriminated against them. They say the state’s outdated water quality rules prevent tribes from performing their religious and cultural practices in the state’s rivers. The California State Water Resources Control Board has pledged to cooperate with the investigation. The board says its highest planning priority has been restoring native fish species that are important to tribes. The Environmental Protection Agency has six months to investigate the allegations and present its findings. The board has not yet responded to the allegations in writing.