Winnemem Wintu and 50+ Tribes Demand Newsom Block Shasta Dam Raise, Warn of ‘Cultural Genocide

Coalition letter cites destruction of remaining sacred sites, violation of state law, and harm to McCloud River salmon as the Trump administration pours $40 million into planning

REDDING, Calif. — March 27, 2026 — In a strongly worded letter sent this week, a coalition of approximately 50 Native American tribes, environmental justice organizations, commercial fishing groups, recreational users, and conservation groups is pressing Gov. Gavin Newsom to stand firm against the Trump administration’s renewed push to raise Shasta Dam.

krcrtv.com Tribes, environmentalists urge Newsom to oppose federal plan to raise Shasta Dam

The federal government announced $40 million in planning funds earlier this month for a project that would lift the dam by 18.5 feet, enlarging Shasta Lake to send more water to Central Valley farmers. Opponents say the move is illegal under California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, would flood thousands of acres of forest and critical wildlife habitat, and inflict irreversible damage on the McCloud River and its salmon runs.

Leading the tribal opposition is the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, whose ancestral homeland along the McCloud River was devastated when the original Shasta Dam was completed in the 1940s. Construction flooded roughly 90 percent of the tribe’s villages, burial grounds, and sacred ceremonial sites. A raise would drown what little remains.

indybay.org Winnemem Wintu Chief Leads 'Water. Every Drop Sacred' Rally and March

“Construction of Shasta Dam destroyed roughly 90% of the Tribe’s ancestral homeland. Raising the dam would destroy many of the few remaining cultural and sacred sites still used today,” the coalition letter states. “Federal agencies have acknowledged these impacts, and the Tribe has rightly described the project as cultural genocide.”

Gary Mulcahy, government liaison for the Winnemem Wintu, has repeatedly warned that the expanded reservoir would submerge a sacred pool used in ceremonies, teaching rocks for coming-of-age rituals, and the burial site of a massacre at Kabyai Creek. The tribe has led a multi-year partnership with state and federal agencies to reintroduce endangered winter-run Chinook salmon to the McCloud River — an effort that would be undermined if the river is further inundated.

Decades of Resistance, Renewed by Trump-Era Funding

The Winnemem Wintu have fought the dam-raise proposal for more than a decade, staging rallies, war dances, and public ceremonies at the dam itself.

nbcnews.com Winnemem Winto Tribal members use war dance against the dam raise

State agencies — including the California Water Resources Control Board and Department of Fish and Wildlife — have already declared the project unlawful. The state Attorney General successfully blocked earlier attempts in court, citing the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act’s explicit protection of the McCloud River from further damming or inundation.

Despite that, Central Valley agricultural interests, led by the powerful Westlands Water District, continue to lobby aggressively. In February 2026, they urged President Trump to fast-track the project using funds from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The $40 million allocation followed shortly after.

Broader Coalition and Environmental Stakes

The letter, signed by Friends of the River and dozens of other groups, emphasizes that the raise would flood more than 5,600 acres of forest and riparian habitat while harming steelhead, salmon, and other species already struggling in the Sacramento River system. It also represents what opponents call an unprecedented federal intrusion into California’s water governance.

What Happens Next? Gov. Newsom has not yet issued a public response to the letter. However, his administration has consistently opposed the dam raise, citing state law and environmental protections. The coalition is urging him to make that opposition explicit and to direct state agencies to continue blocking any federal permits or funding that would advance the project.

Shasta County leaders and Central Valley farming groups have not commented publicly on the latest tribal letter, but the battle is expected to intensify as planning dollars begin to flow.

Shasta Unfiltered will continue tracking the coalition’s campaign, any response from the governor’s office, and potential legal or legislative showdowns in Sacramento and Washington.