Delta Water Bill Fails in Sacramento

Dave Roberts with thepress.net reported this last week, “Local Delta advocates are breathing a sigh of relief after a package of state water bills that they consider all wet were bottled up in Sacramento last week when legislators failed to reach agreement on their passage.

The water legislation included support for a water conveyance system such as the proposed peripheral canal that would take fresh water from the Sacramento River near Sacramento and directly convey it south, bypassing much of the Delta. Local advocates are concerned that the canal would decrease local water quality, including adding more salinity, resulting in a further decline in the fish population.”

A Delta workshop in Brentwood is scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 19 beginning at 8 am at the Senior Center, 193 Griffith Lane. At the meeting residents will become better equipped in understanding the Canal debate. It’s easy to reject the idea when people hear about a $50 billion price tag, but perhaps the much needed jobs will actually benefit Brentwood. The debate continues… More information is available online at www.baydeltaconservationplan.com.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) is being prepared through a collaboration of state, federal, and local water agencies, state and federal fish agencies, environmental organizations, and other interested parties. These organizations have formed the BDCP Steering Committee. The plan will identify a set of water flow and habitat restoration actions to contribute to the recovery of endangered and sensitive species and their habitats in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The goal of the BDCP is to provide for both species/habitat protection and improved reliability of water supplies.

According to Assembly member Bill Berryhill, “I have a plan that creates the cheapest and quickest way of reopening the Delta pumps to get the water flowing south again. It costs less than $1 billion, a fraction of the price tag of other proposed solutions, and takes less than two years to implement, addressing a pressing need in short order” Berryhill seeks to campaign the public on a platform that would avoid the estimated $50 billion dollar Canal project.

Critics of the existing Delta argue that the $50 billion Canal project will create much needed jobs in the Brentwood area.