[Water_news] 1. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS - Top Item for 3/11/08

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment

 

March 11, 2008

 

1.  Top Item

 

Group pulls out of water deal; Madera district first to leave river settlement

Fresno Bee – 3/10/08

By Mark Grossi and Michael Doyle, the Fresno Bee

 

The Madera Irrigation District is abandoning the hard-won agreement to restore the San Joaquin River -- a sign of growing doubts about the plan among farmers whose support is crucial.

 

At stake is the return of a regular water flow next year in the state's second-longest river. The San Joaquin has been seasonally dry in two major sections for decades since Friant Dam was built in the 1940s. The flow was diverted to farm fields on the San Joaquin Valley's east side.

 

Farmers and environmentalists in 2006 signed an agreement to restore the river and salmon runs, ending an 18-year legal fight. On average, farmers would lose almost 20% of their river water. They agreed to the deal because they were afraid they would lose more water if the decision was left to a judge. Nevertheless, they continue to worry about how much water they are going to lose.

 

For the past 18 months, lawmakers have been working on legislation to provide funding for the agreement and possibly to replace some of the farm water supplies.

 

With no final bill to assure them that they could reclaim some of that restoration water, the Madera district decided to back out of the agreement last week at a board meeting.

 

Madera is the first water district to take this action.

 

The agreement requires a 30-day cooling off period during which the district will discuss its issues with other water districts, environmentalists and the federal government.

 

"We need to talk about our concerns," said Madera board president Carl Janzen. "Maybe we can settle this."

 

Many water officials do not think the loss of one district will hurt the restoration agreement. Most of the 18 farm water agencies involved still appear to support the agreement, said Ron Jacobsma, general manager of the Friant Water Users Authority, which represents all the districts involved.

 

But the concern is that farmers -- worried that they have no guarantee the water will be restored -- will pressure other water districts to back out.

 

On Friday, the Friant governing board is scheduled to discuss restoration bill amendments that may calm farmer fears.

 

The Friant meeting will be in Visalia behind closed doors because they are discussing legal action, though any official action must be publicly announced.

 

Supporters of the restoration bill in Washington, D.C., say the project can legally proceed even if several irrigation districts opt out.

 

"I don't suspect this will hold the process up," said Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa. Democratic Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno agreed.

 

But Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of Visalia, the restoration effort's most vocal opponent among lawmakers, said Madera's disapproval alone is enough to kill the settlement. He said Friant organization votes on the legislation and the agreement must be unanimous to be valid.

 

Attorneys are looking into whether Friant needs unanimous agreement among its board of directors for the deal.

 

To address the farm water supply worries, Costa and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein have prodded legislative negotiators to make the restoration bill stronger. They pushed amendments to assure farmers that some restoration water will be returned to fields after it has run through the river.

 

Negotiators agreed to authorize up to $35 million from a federal restoration fund to rehabilitate the Friant-Kern and Madera canals, which deliver water to farmers. They also agreed to authorize such projects as the ground-water bank that the Madera Irrigation District wants to build.

 

Those proposed amendments will be discussed Friday at the Friant meeting.

 

But many farmers have been even more concerned since a federal judge last year ruled that more water might be needed to protect fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. They worry that river restoration water will go to the delta for the fish, not to their irrigation canals.

 

Farmer Kole Upton, Chowchilla Water District board member, said he supports Madera's vote.

 

"They're the only ones who have done it so far," said Upton, who helped negotiate the 2006 agreement but has changed his mind over the last several months. "Chowchilla might do it. There may be others." #

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/454760.html

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