A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
July 27 2007
1. Top Item
Water plan gets a boost in Valley; Fresno-area leaders back governor's idea
By Ely Portillo, staff writer
Increasing water supplies is key to the region's future, Fresno-area leaders said Thursday as they threw their weight behind Gov. Schwarzenegger's stalled plan to build two new dams in
"Water is absolutely the lifeblood of this valley and state, and the fact of the matter is, we don't have enough of it," Mayor Alan Autry said at a news conference Thursday in downtown
Autry and other local mayors, business leaders and state lawmakers joined in backing the governor, adding their voices to a battle over billions of dollars and the rivers' worth of water that fuels
Schwarzenegger's plan, introduced in January, calls for raising $4.5 billion in bonds to fund two new dams and $450 million for water conservation and river restoration. One dam would be north of
Together, those dams would be expected to generate about 500,000 acre-feet of water per year. An acre-foot is enough to supply an average
The governor also wants a billion-dollar canal to pipe water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to
A bill to enact the governor's plan has been stalled since April in the Democrat-controlled Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. Environmental groups have voiced opposition to the new dams because of the potential damage to river habitats and concerns that water conservation would be more effective.
"It's been framed as just an ag issue, and it's not," Autry said.
He said new dams would ensure sufficient drinking and irrigation water and protect the Valley's towns from flooding.
Schwarzenegger and his supporters have said that flooding could worsen if climate change results in less snow and more rainfall in the mountains during the winter.
"What can't be discarded are those floodwaters at the doorstep of Firebaugh," said Autry, referencing heavy rain and near-flood conditions last year in the area.
Last week, state Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, proposed an alternative to the governor's plan. His $5 billion bond plan includes $1 billion for a canal project similar to the governor's, $2 billion for river restoration and $2 billion for local water agencies to manage and increase water supplies. Agencies could use that money for dams but would not be required to do so.
At Thursday's news conference, state Assembly Member Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, said he is optimistic about passing a comprehensive water bill.
"Last year, if you asked the Legislature if they would support above-ground storage [dams], the answer was no," he said. This year, lawmakers are "more open." #
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/96942.html
####
No comments:
Post a Comment