Farm Water News: News articles and links from April 1, 2013

BAY DELTA CONSERVATION PLAN

Broke California unveils fish-saving boondoggle

Blog

By Steven Greenhut

From Bloomberg - Sunday, March 31, 2013

Coalition response...The author's alternative proposals, including desalination, recycling and levee improvements, are already underway in California. Desalination efforts in Southern California have gone through years of legal challenges and the permitting process continues. Recycling, as well as conservation, has been a way of life on California farms and in our cities. California has spent more than $300 million since 2005 to improve Delta levees and plans to spend more.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) does not prohibit the above actions from continuing. The focus of BDCP is to create a reliable water supply and restore the Delta ecosystem. Seven years of research by scientists have resulted in the current BDCP proposal, which is the best opportunity that Californians have in securing their water future.

Deck stacked against north on water?

Editorial

From Chico Enterprise-Record - Friday, March 29, 2013

Coalition response...Expressing concern about the security of Sacramento Valley water supplies, as this editorial does, is a reasonable reaction when considering California's water future. One important factor involving that water future, as well as past and present water issues, is that the State Water Code issues assurance to existing water rights; meaning that new water projects cannot negatively impact current water rights.

Also, the amount of water transported through the tunnels will be dependent on the available water supply. If the water supply in the river is low, then the flow through the tunnel will be less than the 9,000 cubic feet per second. Visit farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf to learn more about the transfer of water through the tunnels.

Lastly, past transfers of water from willing sellers in the Sacramento Valley to willing buyers south of the Delta are required to not harm the existing ecosystem, including aquifers. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan will not alter that requirement.

Congressman Garamendi releases comprehensive water plan for all of California

Press release

From Rep. Garamendi - Thursday, March 28, 2013

Coalition response...Rep. Garamendi's water plan includes water management strategies that have already been implemented by public water agencies, such as conservation and recycling. While they can help serve local water users, they're not as inexpensive as the congressman thinks. His plan lacks the details on how these achievements should be enhanced in a way that protects local water users from skyrocketing water bills. New storage systems are ineffective unless we have the ability to move sufficient water at the right time of the year to meet local water needs, including water to produce food during the height of the summer growing season. If Rep. Garamendi is concerned about California's water delivery system and the environmental challenges the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is designed to overcome, then he needs to thoroughly read the more than 18,000 pages in the BDCP's environmental documentation, the most comprehensive review of any project of its kind in the United States.

BAY DELTA CONSERVATION PLAN

Will twin tunnels water project float?

Story

From San Diego Union-Tribune - Saturday, March 30, 2013

Northern California House members slam Delta plan

Story

From Sacramento Bee - Friday, March 29, 2013

Critics assail Delta proposal

Story

From Stockton Record - Friday, March 29, 2013

WATER SUPPLY

San Diego farmers bracing for a tough year