One of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointees to the Delta Stewardship Council resigned today in the face of opposition from some environmental groups that said he had a conflict of interest.

Richard Roos-Collins, an attorney for the Natural Heritage Institute, said "it has become clear that the political controversy related to Senate confirmation of my appointment will affect the council's capacity to timely implement the Delta Reform Act," according to his resignation letter obtained by The Bee.

Read the letter here.

The council was created by the Legislature last year to oversee the environmentally troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Roos-Collins was seen as the governor's pick to satisfy environmentalists. But some groups expressed concerns that he also served on the steering committee of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, a government-led effort that is considering a new canal to move water around the delta southward to Valley farms and Southern California cities.

The Delta council, by law, can incorporate the canal into its long-range plans only if it meets environmental standards and is approved by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

Sierra Club lobbyist Jim Metropulos told the Sacramento Bee earlier this year that Roos-Collins was not suited to objectively review the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. "He's not going to have an independent view," Metropulos said.

Schwarzenegger's office had stood by Roos-Collins as recently as last week. The governor's office did not immediately comment on the resignation.

Roos-Collins' resignation comes days after Schwarzenegger called for a delay of an $11 billion water bond from November's ballot to 2012. The postponment still requires Legislative approval. The resignation is potentially on olive branch to Senate Democrats, who were expected to grill Roos-Collins at his confirmation hearing. He was scheduled to appear at a recent hearing that was canceled at the last minute.