Bay Delta
Conservation Plan
From: Alastair
Bland, Marin Independent Journal
On the brisk, foggy
seascape of the Gulf of the Farallones, 15 miles from shore, another rod bends
over under the weight of a hefty Chinook salmon. The frantic energy moves up
the line, into the hands of the fisherman, and from there into the blood of
every angler onboard. Yes - salmon possess this kind of power.
In fact, though
they're armed with hooks, lines, nets, and billy clubs, most fishermen are
allies of the Chinook salmon, and the greatest threat may be people of
political power who work in the stodgy suit-and-tie chambers of Capitol Hill.
Here, state officials are now polishing up plans to build a pair of huge
underground tunnels that could take away half or more of the Sacramento River
before it even reaches the Delta, diverting the water instead into a
state-of-the-art delivery system serving San Joaquin Valley farmers and thirsty
cities.
Coalition
response...It is
understandable that fishermen are concerned about the possible effects the Bay
Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) may have on fish but those concerns need to be
based on facts. Saying the tunnels "could take away half or more of the
Sacramento River before it reaches the Delta" does not reflect reality.
Mandated water levels flowing through the Delta will be maintained under BDCP.
The flow of water through the tunnels will be governed according to available
supply. When the flows are high, more water will move through the tunnels.
Lower flows mean less water will be exported. See more at www.farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf.
BDCP includes more
than a 100,000 acres of habitat that will be created to protect fish by
providing safe harbor from predators and an improved food supply.
Too many people
mistakenly believe that the pumps that deliver water to thousands of farms and
25 million Californians are the primary cause of the dwindling salmon
population of recent years. Yet, the National Marine Fisheries Service has
concluded that poor ocean conditions---warm water and a reduced food
supply---is the leading cause of the drop in salmon populations.
Fisheries
From: Matt
Weiser, Modesto Bee
(This article
previously appeared in the Sacramento Bee.)
In a sign of
growing drought in California, state officials recently took the unusual step
of loosening environmental water quality rules in hopes of protecting salmon in
the Sacramento River.
The move
illustrates how drought forces difficult trade-offs in modern-day California,
where water supplies are stretched to the limit even in normal years.
Coalition
response...The solution
to providing sufficient water for fish migration while continuing to meet the
water supply needs of Northern California and the rest of the state is the
development of new storage in Northern California. Construction of Sites
Reservoir and expanding Shasta Dam would help improve water management
flexibility for all of California. These projects can accomplish this by
increasing the reliability of Sacramento Valley water supplies and other parts
of the state by reducing Sacramento River diversions at a time when salmon need
it most. Combined, Sites and Shasta could add over 2 million acre-feet to
California's water supply and ecosystem portfolio, which is a win-win for
people and the environment.
Delta
From: Genevieve
A. Suzuki, Mission Times Courier
Looking upon the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it's easy to dismiss it as just another modern
marvel, crafted to bring 25 millions of Californians drinking water. Water
flows in and out of our faucets, hoses and toilets every day; it's a given we
all take for granted.
All it takes is one
of Metropolitan Water District's inspection trips to the Bay Delta to force you
to confront reality about water truly being one of our more precious resources.
And, as with any precious resource, there is a wealth of issues surrounding its
maintenance and distribution.
Salton Sea
From: Ian James,
Desert Sun
The state budget
signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday commits $30 million for a study and
habitat restoration work at the Salton Sea, but the governor also used a
line-item veto to cut $3 million that would have gone toward other projects at
the shrinking lake.
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