[Water_news] 1. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS - Top Item for 2/05/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

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

 

February 05, 2009

 

Top Items–

 

Fresno water debate settles little

Everyone agrees on one point -- system is broken.

Fresno Bee – 2/4/09

By Mark Grossi

 

California's water system is broken -- especially the sensitive Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

 

That was about the only point everyone agreed upon Wednesday night in a debate between San Joaquin Valley farm water officials and environmentalists.

They clashed on everything from arcane points of water law to the massive restoration of the San Joaquin River.

 

A crowd of about 250 people, many of them farmers, jammed into the Satellite Student Union at California State University, Fresno.

 

Many farmers are worried about getting enough water to keep their operations going as a third drought year unfolds in California. West-side farmers fear they will get no imported water from Northern California at all this year.

 

Jeff Peracchi, who farms almonds, wine grapes and pomegranates west of Five Points, said he is just trying to keep his crops alive.

 

"We have a well that will help us with about 30% of our almond acreage," he said. "We're talking about which field we want to keep and which one to let go."

 

He came to hear the environmental panelists, who included two board members with the California Water Impact Network, Lloyd Carter and Michael Jackson, and Bill Jennings, chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.

 

Farm water representatives included Thomas Birmingham, general manager and general counsel of the Westlands Water District, Kole Upton, former chairman of Friant Water Users Authority, and Jim Beck, general manager of the Kern County Water Agency.

 

The moderator was U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger, whose 2007 decision on a threatened fish species led to cutbacks in irrigation deliveries for west San Joaquin Valley farmers.

 

The discussion ranged from the delta to the Valley's east- and west-side farms. The arguments about fixes have been going on for decades.

 

Environmentalists have long opposed construction of more canals and dams, and they argued against proposals for a new dam on the San Joaquin River and a canal around the east side of the delta. They defended the court settlement to restore the San Joaquin River. The restoration is scheduled to begin in October.

 

Water officials said the pendulum has swung too far toward environmentalists and fish restoration. Too much money is being spent for too little results, they said. There needs to be more of a balance now, water officials said.

 

Farmers came to the microphone and told panelists that farms are disappearing. They said the arguments need to be set aside and the system needs to be fixed.

Environmentalist Carter argued that more than 80% of the water captured at dams is used in farm fields. He said that will have to change in the future.

 

"I predict that agriculture is going to contract as cities grow," Carter said.

 

Westlands manager Birmingham replied that Carter's numbers were wrong. He said farming uses about 43% and cities about 12%. "The rest is for the environment," he said. "There has been a fundamental shift." #

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1178085.html

 

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