Bay Delta
Conservation Plan
From: Cindy
Manduffie, Sacramento Bee
Coalition
response...Cindy
Manduffie is concerned about the health of the Delta's aquatic ecosystems and
rightfully so. The Delta is broken. It doesn't provide the habitat for native
fish to thrive anymore. Poor water quality has fundamentally changed the
chemistry of the Delta, reducing the food supply that starts at the base of the
food chain. Baby salmon don't stand a chance because of non-native predators
that consume them by the millions as they try to make it to the ocean.
Unnatural river flows take fish to a dead end at the south end of the Delta
where predators lurk.
The Bay Delta
Conservation Plan is designed to reverse the trend that Ms. Manduffie has
identified while continuing to meet the water supply needs of thousands of
farmers and 25 million Californians. We can't sit still and we can't go
back to 1850 before the Delta was drained. The right protections coupled with
sound science and engineering can bring back the native fishery and continue to
meet the water supply needs of a state that is the 9th largest economy in the
world.
From: Steven
Greenhut, Bloomberg
Coalition
response...A
clarification is needed to this story---Judges have not "routinely shut
down the pumps." Instead, it has been biological opinions written by
federal fish agencies that have caused the disruption in water deliveries
without improvements to fish populations that they are designed to protect.
These biological opinions ignore the most recent science that identifies a loss
of habitat, water quality, predation and poor ocean conditions as causes for
smelt and salmon declines.
A federal judge
ruled in May 2010 that federal fish agencies must rewrite the biological
opinions and this time include recognition of negative impacts to humans
resulting from the opinions. We're still waiting for that rewrite.
Colorado River
From: Bob
Berwyn, Summit County Citizens Voice
Coalition
response...California
farmers who grow food using Colorado River water provide a significant portion
of the nation's fresh fruits and vegetables during certain times of the year.
Selecting the right crop to grow depends on a number of factors, including
whether or not there is a market for it. It's pointless to plant a crop that
uses less water if it can't be sold. Some might consider that even more
wasteful.
Ongoing discussions
regarding the supply of Colorado River water must include farmers and the
public water agencies that deliver water to the farms. Reducing the amount of
water used in California to grow food may ultimately have an impact on the
amount of fresh, local food products at the grocery store.
Quantification
Settlement Agreement
From: Associated
Press, Imperial Valley Press
From:Mission
Times Courier
Water Supply
From: Los
Angeles Times
Transfers
From: Kate
Campbell, Ag Alert
Infrastructure
From: Bettina
Boxall, Los Angeles Times
From: Matthew
Daly, Modesto Bee
Meetings
From: Staff,
Chico Enterprise-Record
From: Staff,
Modesto Bee
From: Water
Association of Kern County
No comments:
Post a Comment