Farm Water News: News articles and links from March 25, 2013

BAY DELTA CONSERVATION PLAN

Delta tunnel project truly can drain north state

Viewpoint

by Jane Wagner-Tyack

From Sacramento Bee - Sunday, March 24, 2013

Coalition response...Attempting to characterize the Bay Delta Conservation Plan as a means of draining the north state is utterly baseless. The misguided claim that BDCP will drain the Sacramento Valley and the Delta ignores the operational guidelines that protect these regions. The amount of water that the project could move is based on what river conditions would allow; sometimes more and sometimes less. Visit www.farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf to learn more about exports.

The author also claims that existing pumping restrictions are insufficient to protect endangered fish but she never mentions the lack of habitat in the Delta or the poor conditions in the ocean, which the National Marine Fisheries Service has identified as the leading cause for the dwindling salmon numbers. Add the high numbers of juvenile salmon taken by predators and a more complete picture is presented on factors affecting salmon. The predator problem is significant, especially when one realizes that a recent study (www.farmwater.org/93percentsalmon6-5.pdf) revealed that 93% of the juvenile smolts in the Tuolumne River, that make their way to the Delta via the San Joaquin River, are eaten by predatory fish. That's not healthy for any species regardless of the circumstances.

RIVERS

California's water belongs to everyone

Letter

By David Guzzetta

From Merced Sun-Star - Friday, March 22, 2013

Coalition response...Individuals and groups concerned with the proposal by the State Water Resources Control Board to designate higher flows in the Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers for fish are waiting for the scientific reasoning for the decision. Water board staffers have publicly stated that it is unknown whether the flow decision will benefit salmon.

Science must play an important part in the decisions that regulate our water resources. A recent study as part of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's relicensing of Don Pedro Dam on the Tuolumne River found that 93% of juvenile salmon in the river were consumed by predator fish. Adding more water to the river will not solve the predator problem and restore the salmon population.

ALLOCATIONS

Reclamation announces update to the 2013 Central Valley Project water supply allocation

Press release

From US Bureau of Reclamation - Friday, March 22, 2013

California's water future going from bad to worse

Press release

From California Farm Water Coalition - Friday, March 22, 2013

Federal regulations shatter water delivery system

Press release

From San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority - Friday, March 22, 2013

Federal water allocation decrease will harm farming, communities

Press release