Tuesday, September 18, 2012

News articles and links from September 18, 2012


Water supply

Blog
By Wenonah Hauter
From food&waterwatch - Monday, Sept. 17, 2012

Coalition response...This article is reflective of the rhetoric that is raised in opposition to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), most of which is without facts. Family farmers receive a portion of the water that flows through the Delta and is exported to areas including the San Francisco East Bay, Santa Clara/San Benito counties, San Joaquin Valley, the south Central Coast and Southern California all the way to San Diego. The result of the farmers' toil is a safe, healthy and affordable food supply that consumers rely upon each time they visit their grocery store. 

The Legislature's mandate directed that a reliable water supply and environmental restoration of the Delta ecosystem must govern the efforts of the BDCP; thus distinguishing the current plan to solve problems in the Delta from the effort of 30 years ago.

The estimated cost that Southern California residents may pay is only $1 per person or about $4-5 per month per household, according to a recent cost study. That is a far cry from the "$2,003 to $9,182" cited in the article.

It's too bad that the energy and effort that goes into to spreading false information about BDCP can not be redirected toward working with others who are committed to achieving a reliable water future for all interests in California.

Fisheries

Story
From San Jose Mercury News - Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012

Coalition response...A recent report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pointed to ocean conditions as the leading cause for the dwindling salmon numbers in recent years. These conditions included warming water temperatures and a loss of food supply. This report is available at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Habitat/.  

Another factor not mentioned in this article is the impact that predator fish such as striped bass have on the juvenile salmon as they make their way through the Delta to the ocean. This conflict is illustrated in a March 2009 article in Western Outdoor Magazine written by fishing guide JD Richey that stated: "The peak of the baby salmon's downstream journey corresponds with the spring spawning run of striped bass.  Somewhere along the line the two crash headlong into one another. It's a one-sided blood bath, and when the spray and foam settles, the stripers emerge fat and happy while the Chinook suffer heavy losses."  You can read the full article here: www.farmwater.org/striperseatsalmonsmolt.pdf.

WATER SUPPLY

Story
From Imperial Valley Press - Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012

Letter
From Modesto Bee - Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012

Press release
From GEI - Friday, Sept. 14, 2012

WATER QUALITY

Blog
By Gary H. Baise
From Farm Futures - Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012

Delta

Blog
By Joe Mathews
From Delta Dialogues - Monday, Sept. 17, 2012

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