From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

West Side Badly Hurting

Coalition response…The water supply system in California is working in the manner it was designed by storing water for later use. But government regulations interrupted delivery operations earlier this year by taking nearly a million acre-feet that could have been stored south of the Delta and instead sending it through the Delta to the ocean. This action was taken to protect fish but agencies have failed to provide any results that the fish benefited. As a result, farmers are scrambling to save their crops.

Even if next winter’s supply of rain and snow is above average, there is no guarantee that water will again be taken away from farmers and other users for unproven benefits to fish. Lawmakers and regulators must acknowledge that changes must be made in regulations that restrict the ability of farmers to grow a food supply that we all depend upon.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Letter: Push for aqueduct

Coalition response…While some may think this idea of building a canal from other states to California is ridiculous, at least the letter-writer is attempting to solve a serious problem confronting California. The best and much less expensive alternative to bring a more reliable water supply to 25 million Californians and thousands of farmers in the San Joaquin Valley is the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and its proposed twin tunnels. Cost estimates to build the tunnels is about $14 billion and according to the benefits received water users will be paying the cost. Based on the per mile construction cost of the twin tunnels, a water conveyance facility from the Mississippi River to Central California could easily exceed $700 billion, or 50 times the cost currently under consideration.

Outside-the-box thinking is important. It helps frame the issue and makes sure we are on the right track for a feasible project.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Decision on water release due

Editorial: Trinity releases right for salmon, costly for people

(The following comment is posted to the above articles.)

Coalition response…The proposed release of water down the Trinity River is above and beyond the Record Of Decision for the Trinity River that specifies and limits the quantity of water dedicated annually to the fishery. That decision has significantly reduced the amount of water that was historically delivered to the Central Valley Project and farmers in the Central Valley who grow the food we depend upon. Action taken last year by Reclamation to send the additional water down the Trinity was also controversial and provided unclear benefits to the Klamath river salmon. A repeat of that action this year will reduce the water supply to farmers who have had their supplies cut by 80 percent. It is no surprise that water agencies are fighting on behalf of their customers to keep water flowing to their farms rather than losing more water for Klamath River salmon, a fish that is not listed as endangered.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Letter: Too little water for fish

Coalition response…It is unbelievable that someone like John McManus who heads the Golden Gate Salmon Association could possibly ignore the largest single controllable force affecting the future of California’s salmon industry.

He seems to think that predators will curb their diets if diversions from rivers are curtailed. I guess he assumes that the feeding frenzy in the Tuolumne River will go away if water delivered to cities and homes and to farms that grow the food we eat is reduced. A federal survey recently revealed that 93% of the juvenile salmon in the Tuolumne were eaten by predator fish. Not surprising, at a time when salmon populations reached their lowest, the numbers of bass that feast on baby salmon have skyrocketed ( https://farmwater.org/centrarchids.pdf).

Why isn’t McManus talking to the bass industry about that?

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Letter: Growing water demands are going to outstrip supply

Coalition response…Chris Fenstermaker needs to be more careful when he tries to compare one farming region in California with another. Water use on a vineyard in Galt is pretty much the same as it is for the orchards he complains about along I-5. The fact is for 20 years almost 4,000 farms on the San Joaquin Valley’s Westside have faced water supply cuts from 40 percent, to 60 percent to as much as 90 percent by a federal bureaucracy that has dismissed the impacts of its decisions on the people who live and work there. The food-producing capability of the Westside is important to California consumers and to the state’s economy. It provides jobs and economic stability. Perhaps Mr. Fenstermaker should be thinking more about the impacts on society of a large segment of the population being unemployed.

Editorial: Is it evil to want a reliable water supply for all of California?

Coalition response…This editorial accurately describes the dilemma that grips California’s water supply. The distrust aimed at Southern California fails to acknowledge the benefits to our entire state that are available through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Improving the Delta’s ecosystem through increased fish protections and the addition of over 100,000 acres of habitat is significant. Equally significant is a reliable water supply for 25 million Californians and thousands of farmers who grow the food we all enjoy.

The estimated cost to those in Southern California who receive water from the Delta would be an estimated $4 to $5 per household, per month, according to Metropolitan Water District.

The overall cost for new urban water supplied through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan is $300-$400 per acre-foot, according to UC Berkeley economist David Sunding. This is a savings when compared to $1,000-$4,500 for recycled water or $1,200-$1,400 for conservation measures.

Farmers have been plagued with an uncertain supply of water in recent years caused by drought and regulations written to protect Delta species. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan reduces that uncertainty and the effects caused by the regulations that have resulted in a 40 percent reduction in supply to farmers receiving water from the State and federal systems. This means that consumers can continue to rely on fresh Californian-grown produce when they visit their grocery stores.

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July 16, 2013

Contact: Mario Santoyo, (559) 799-0701

Speakers from a wide variety of perspectives will address crucial Bay-Delta Estuary water, infrastructure and environmental issues during a Delta Water Summit on Saturday, August 3, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union at California State University, Fresno. Many top water leaders from around California and the nation will be participating.

Governor Brown has been invited to present his water supply vision for California as has Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Michael Connor. Deputy Resources Secretary Gerald Meral will speak on a panel along with Delta Stewardship Council Member Gloria Gray and Sunne McPeak of the Delta Vision Foundation.

 

 

“Even in the Central Valley, ground zero for water supply shortages and economic impacts due to Delta pumping restrictions, chances are that most have felt or heard of the Delta’s problems but really do not understand much about the details,” said Mario Santoyo, California Latino Water Coalition Executive Director and one of the forum’s organizers.

Delta pumping restrictions such as biological opinions governing when and how much water can be pumped and exported continue to create enormous impacts on communities, counties, businesses, landowners and farmers. At the same time, the drafted Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and an alternative Delta conveyance project proposed by Governor Brown and his administration represent the most significant and important water development concepts and conversations that California has had since the 1982 Peripheral Canal debate.

“Yet, if you asked the average Californian if they know anything much about any of these various items the answer is typically ‘Not much or not at all’.” Santoyo said. “This is particularly true in Southern California and the Silicon Valley, even though both of those important urban areas rely tremendously on water supplies conveyed through and pumped from the Delta.”

The summit will bring together high level policy, technical and legislative representatives from the state and federal governments as well as key water agencies and environmental interests to present, discuss and answer questions through a series of panels moderated by well-known media figures. A number of elected officials and legislators are expected to attend. Half of the time allotted to panel discussions will be devoted to audience questions.

The summit’s major partners include the California Latino Water Coalition, KMPH-TV in Fresno, Univision, the Fresno Bee and Fresno State. Sponsors include the State of California, Association of California Water Agencies, Clean Water and Jobs for California, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, California Water Institute, Fresno State College of Social Sciences, Friant Water Authority, Westlands Water District, the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Fresno Farm Bureau, Nisei Farmers League, California Farm Water Coalition, California Water Alliance, Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District, and Granville Homes.

The tentative program includes:

9:00 a.m. Welcome by CSUF President Joseph Castro.
9:10 a.m. Governor Brown (Invited) on his Water Supply Vision for California.
9:30 a.m. KMPH Video Overview of the Delta issues and the BDCP. (narrated by Rich Rodriguez)

9:35 a.m. Panel discussion, lead by Fresno Bee Moderator Bill McEwen, regarding water agencies roles, challenges and expectations with the BDCP. Q&A by the audience:

· Ara Azhderian, Water Policy Administrator, San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority
· Joan Maher, Deputy Operating Officer for Water Supply, Santa Clara Valley Water District
· Ron Jacobsma, General Manager, Friant Water Authority
· Jim Beck, General Manager, Kern County Water Agency
· Tom Birmingham, General Manager, Westlands Water District
· Chris Acree, Executive Director, Revive the San Joaquin (Invited)
· John Coleman, Vice President, Association of California Water Agencies

10:30 a.m. Panel discussion, lead by Univision Moderator Reina Cardenas, regarding State and Federal Administration roles and actions associated with the BDCP and any short term relief. Q&A by the audience:

· Michael Connor, Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Invited)
· Gerald Meral, Deputy Secretary, Natural Resources Agency
· Gloria Gray, Delta Stewardship Council
· Sunne McPeak, Delta Vision Foundation

11:25 p.m. Panel discussion, lead by KMPH Moderator Rich Rodriguez, regarding current legislative efforts by them or colleagues to assist either the short term relief or long term solution. Q&A by the audience:

· Congressman Jim Costa
· Congressman David G. Valadao
· Senator Jean Fuller
· Assembly Member Henry T. Perea
· Assemblymember Jim Patterson
· Assemblymember Rudy SalasAssemblymember Jim Fraizer (Invited)

Free parking is available but only in CSUF’s green and yellow designated areas.

Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations or who have questions may call 559-799-0701 in advance of this event.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Bureau of Reclamation hears mostly negative comments on raising Shasta Dam

Coalition response…Shasta Dam was originally planned to be 800-feet tall but labor and material shortages during World War II reduced its height to 602-feet. Raising the dam is possible because of the wide base that was built to uphold the taller height. As pointed out by the Environmental Impact Statement, salmon will benefit from an added supply of cold water and gravel beds as they make their way up the Sacramento River to spawn. Additional Shasta storage will also provide benefits to Northern California’s water users by adding to local supplies if future minimum river flow requirements are adopted. More storage will provide a buffer for Northern California farms, homes and businesses. Farmers who have a more reliable water supply can provide a more dependable food supply for consumers throughout the state.

Those who first planned the construction of Shasta Dam recognized the benefits that would be provided to the people of California. Now is the time to move forward with that vision, even if only by a few feet.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Blog: State Agency Comments Show Need to Improve BDCP

Coalition response…Comments and suggestions to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan are sought as drafts of the Plan are released and public meetings conducted. The Plan’s development process analyzes these comments and suggestions to determine whether they fulfill the co-equal goals of a reliable water supply and a restored Delta ecosystem established by the Legislature. NRDC’s Portfolio Alternative and its single tunnel does not meet either of these goals.

From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Solano Supervisor blasts BDCP’s leader

Coalition response…There are major differences between the proposed 1982 Peripheral Canal and today’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The Canal had the capacity to transfer 21,800 cubic feet per second while the capacity for the BDCP’s two tunnels is only 9,000 cfs. The Canal was an isolated conveyance but BDCP allows for through-Delta operations and more flexibility to maintain in-Delta water quality. Learn more at  www.farmwater.org/p-canalcomparison.pdf.

The Delta continues to deteriorate and increased regulatory restrictions to protect species are not proving fruitful. These restrictions are also limiting the ability of local, state and federal water agencies to move water to serve thousands of family farmers and 25 million Californians. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is the best opportunity available to secure a reliable water future for our state.