A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 3, 2007
3. Watersheds
DELTA ISSUES:
Guest Column: From the community: Time running short for Delta - Contra Costa Times
Editorial: Salton save - Riverside Press
UPCOMING WORKSHOP: California State University, Sacramento’s American River Watershed Conference
DELTA ISSUES:
Guest Column: From the community: Time running short for Delta
Contra Costa Times – 3/31/07
By Joan Anderson Dym, executive director of the Southern California Water Committee, and Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council
CALIFORNIA HAS A LONG HISTORY of discord over how to best manage the multiple needs of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The Delta is the heart of the state's water system, home to a vast array of ecological treasures and a recreational wonderland for anglers and boaters from all over
Standing in a water management center in
Together with the Bay Area Council, the Southern California Water Committee believes that the new approaches of the administration, together with the Legislature, have the potential to produce tangible results.
A good and sustainable public policy decision on what to do about the Delta must include a fair and accurate understanding of stakeholder interests and must, in the end, provide a strong level of accountability for the results to be delivered.
For now, that accountability rests with the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force, appointed by the governor in February to develop the vision and the strategic plan to implement it.
And it rests with the governor and the Legislature to provide the leadership and the resources to turn vision into reality.
It started with the governor's Strategic Growth Plan for
And it will continue with the second phase of the Strategic Growth Plan, which would allocate nearly $1 billion toward Delta sustainability.
Both of our organizations have always supported the goals of a reliable water supply, water quality and environmental improvement in any Delta solution.
We think that the solution must be science-based and that technical answers must guide policy.
A core element in the Delta Vision must be a comprehensive program that provides benefits for the environment and fisheries in the Delta ecosystem.
The solution must adequately and appropriately comply with applicable state and federal endangered species protections.
Hurricane Katrina alerted us to the vulnerability of
Multiple levee failures due to floods or earthquakes could easily shut down Delta water exports for months. That loss of water would result in significant supply shortages for 25 million Californians.
The Delta provides 33 percent of San Francisco Bay Area water and 23 percent of
Delta water irrigates 45 percent of the fruits and vegetables produced in the
The BAC and the SCWC meet regularly and have closely followed the implementation of CalFed as well as earlier Delta efforts.
CalFed has given us a much better scientific understanding of the Delta and funded many improvements to the state's overall water supply.
Nevertheless, it is clear to us that the Delta remains in peril, and the science points to an ever-increasing risk of catastrophic failure from earthquakes, climate change and urbanization.
The stakes are high and time is increasingly short. Delta Vision will succeed only if we can put aside entrenched positions and political partisanship, bring creative thinking to bear and are willing to discuss all options.
Both the SCWC and the BAC believe that the best solution will be the one that produces cost-effective and sustainable long-term positive results.
We recognize that we are dealing with highly complex technical issues with many variables. That said, while we do not seek to dictate a particular solution, we do applaud the governor's persistent calls for action and demand that the Delta Vision produce a timely and adequate response to address the ongoing risks existing in the Delta.
Californians, both north and south, cannot afford anything less. #
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/opinion/17005517.htm
Editorial: Salton save
Riverside Press
Sparing the
State Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman last week unveiled the Salton Sea Advisory Committee's ambitious draft plan for saving the sea. The state's proposal is strong, distilling more than a dozen options that the California Resources Agency first floated in October. If the Legislature accepts, the
Approving a plan now would help stave off an ecological catastrophe. The
The state plan is achievable, realistic and informed by years of scientific study. Skeptics might question the cost of restoring the sea's habitat for migratory birds and endangered fish. The state's draft plan estimates the project will cost $6 billion over 75 years. But legislators and taxpayers should consider the price, spread over eight decades, a worthy investment in irreplaceable habitat.
The plan is also flexible enough for legislators to address any apprehensions of local stakeholders. Spreading conservation and recreation around the sea, rather than concentrating recreation in one end and conservation in the other, would help spur economic growth more evenly around the sea and the
Fact is, the state's
But wholesale changes to the plan would jeopardize the sea when consensus is closer than ever. #
UPCOMING WORKSHOP: California State University, Sacramento’s American River Watershed Conference
The Issue:
A heightened flood risk and a compromised water supply are just two of the threats that climate change poses to the
-- Are current land use decisions and policies addressing these future threats?
-- Are land use, water supply and climate change being adequately linked in the context of watershed planning?
-- How can communities plan for future growth, ensure the quality and availability of water resources and address risks associated with climate change?
The Conference:
What:
Purpose: To ignite discussion and planning to maintain the health of the watershed while effectively meeting flood control, water, recreation and aquatic ecosystems needs
When: April 12 – 13, 2007
Where:
Sponsored by: The Water Forum, the Local Government Commission and other local organizations
Plenary Panel Discussion: Climate Change, Land Use and the
Moderator: Tom Philp, Senior Associate Editor,
Panel Members:
Mayor Heather Fargo, City of
Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, City of
Daniel R. Cayan, Ph.D., Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Judith Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission
Help Us Get the Word Out!
Since your audience will likely be directly affected by these climate change impacts, we are looking to you to explore these issues with us and to help us get the word out about this important conference—perhaps with story about what climate change will mean to for residents and businesses, or by including conference information in your calendar section or website.
For more information:
http://www.csus.edu/CREST/American_River_Watershed_Conference.html
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