So far, all they’ve done is get practically everyone mad at them.

Opponents of the plan came out in force Tuesday, in the first of a series of hearings before the State Water Resources Control Board on the future of the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. Environmentalists said the plan doesn’t do enough for California’s beleaguered fish populations, while farmers and elected officials said the changes would dry up the San Joaquin Valley’s already troubled economy.

“We should not be punished for staying in agriculture,” said Diedre Kelsey, a Merced County supervisor. “It’s our economy. ... It funds our schools, it funds our community.” She and others said the drought has already taken a toll on the valley.

The board is charged with overseeing the quality of the water that flows through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the fragile estuary that is the hub of California’s elaborate water delivery system. The board’s proposal, unveiled in September, would let more water flow unimpeded through the Delta and out to the Pacific Ocean. That would leave less water available to be pumped from the south Delta to farms in the arid San Joaquin Valley and homes in Southern California.

Along with the San Joaquin River, the board is planning to reallocate flows from the Sacramento River and its tributaries, with the same goal in mind: to shore up the Delta’s ecosystems. Decisions aren’t expected until next summer.

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