Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
March 21, 2008
1. Top Item
A place to play on the Delta?; Lawmaker's plan would transform stretch into a state recreation area
By Hank Shaw, Bureau Chief
Wolk's idea is for the state to buy
"It's good habitat. It's essential for flood control," said Wolk, a Democrat from
Creating such a park would give the public access to some of the land the state is acquiring to help save the Delta's ecosystem, something the state failed to do when it spent more then $35 million on nearby
Wolk is taking the first tentative steps toward making her project a reality. In all likelihood, passing the bill will require some time, and Wolk is in her final months as an assemblywoman. She is running for state Senate against Stockton Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian.
Chris Unkel of Ducks Unlimited, which is a sponsor of the bill, says the legislation could change radically as negotiations progress.
"What we've got is a sort of first draft of the legislation, a starting point," Unkel said.
Still, Wolk hopes to make headway this year.
"It's complicated," she said. "But the intent of the bill is to at least begin the discussion."
Financing the project will be the key: It is unclear how much it would cost to buy the three parcels, although the federal Bureau of Reclamation is eager to unload
"We think this is a great idea," said Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Jeff McCracken. "If we can make this work, it would be a great resolution."
McCracken said federal rules prevent the bureau from just giving away the island. It must go through the General Services Administration process. It is possible, however, that the state could acquire
Wolk says the real issue will be finding cash to maintain and operate the new recreation area. She says one idea would be for water users south of the Delta to put money in a kitty that would be used for operation and maintenance costs.
Why would they do this? Because water users would need to do something to make up for the fact that the water they receive goes through pumps that kill thousands of fish, including the endangered Delta smelt.
Helping to finance the north Delta refuge could create more spawning habitat for the fish so the losses at the pumps can be borne.
State Water Contractors Director Laura King Moon, who met with Wolk's office Thursday, said it was too soon to say whether her organization could support the idea.
This is not the first time officials tried to create a wildlife refuge in the area.
Federal authorities wanted to create the North Delta National Wildlife Refuge in 1998, but that attempt foundered on the rocks of landowner opposition. Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento, was instrumental in killing the attempt when he represented the area. Ose is now running for a different seat in Congress.
Unkel said he's hopeful that at the end of the day, the recreation area will move from dream to reality.
"We want to create something a little bit different. It's going to be a new animal," Unkel said. "This has a lot of win-win opportunities embedded in it." #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/A_NEWS/803210333/-1/A_NEWS
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