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Interior Official Says Peripheral Canal (Conveyance) Is 'Necessary'
The Obama administration has joined the Schwarzenegger administration in supporting the peripheral canal/tunnel, according to the latest newsletter from Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director of Restore the Delta. Canal opponents fear that the construction of the peripheral canal will lead to the extinction of collapsing populations of Central Valley steelhead, Sacramento River chinook salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, Sacramento splittail and other fish species. Both the federal and state governments are going out of their way to serve corporate agribusiness and southern California water agencies at the expense of imperiled fish populations, the recreational and commercial fishing industries and family farmers on the California Delta.
News from Restore the Delta, Oct. 22, 2010
Never mind the NHA. Keep your eye on the Department of Interior.
We now know something about what has been going on the BDCP Principals' meetings, (which were not "secret" but which anybody present had to promise not to talk about).
We reported on October 10 that Lester Snow has said that decision-making about the BDCP would take place in public meetings.
Forget that.
Last week Interior Secretary Salazar met with the State and the Principals. His deputy, David Hayes, said that Delta conveyance is necessary and that "short term" protections and restoration of the Delta should be weakened.
We shouldn't be surprised at this position, considering that Hayes was formerly an attorney with a firm that represented the Metropolitan Water District. Before that, he was one of the architects of the failed Cal Fed process.
Salazar isn't contradicting Hayes. David Nawi, Senior Advisor to Secretary Salazar for California and Nevada, is apparently deferring to Salazar and Hayes on this issue.
On November 9, Salazar is scheduled to meet with BDCP Principals in Washington, D.C. The expectation is that the product of the Principals' meetings, a report titled "Issues for Discussion for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan" (available at http://www.resources.ca.gov/restoring_the_delta.html) will form the basis of a federal/State agreement.
This is the report that Lester Snow said was not a draft plan, just a progress report on what has been considered throughout the planning process.
A public draft of the BDCP and a draft EIR/EIS are coming due. It has become apparent to everyone that they won't be ready. Alternative approaches? There don't seem to be any. The long, costly BDCP charade may be coming to any end as the State and the feds push forward with the conveyance they always wanted.
Once again, as so often in the past, environmental protections are being treated as an inconvenience. It will be interesting to watch the Department of Interior contradict the biological opinions that shaped the most recent pumping limits.
And, of course with increased pumping, fragile fisheries hanging on by a thread may be wiped out all together. Then again, that may be the intent. No need to protect fish species that no longer exist.
The expectation is that Interior will lift pumping restrictions soon.
So what do Delta Counties do?
It is our understanding that representatives from the Five Delta Counties participated in this October 15th meeting in Tracy with Salazar and Hayes, either in person or on the phone. We have also heard that the Five Delta Counties have to decide if they as a group or individually want to participate in the BDCP discussions with the caveat that they cannot offer input and cannot vote.
Restore the Delta staff certainly understands that local government entities have a responsibility to interact with Federal and State officials in order to represent local communities. And in the case of these BDCP meetings, having the Five Delta Counties gathering information is better than having local government not knowing what is happening.
But, Restore the Delta strongly objects to a process directed by the BDCP Principals, in which officials from State and Federal government agencies can make the decisions on behalf of Delta fisheries, Delta resources, Delta communities, and Delta people without our input and consent.
We believe that this defiles what American democracy is all about.
This is not representative government.
More contempt for science?
The Environmental Water Caucus (EWC) gave the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) recommendations for meeting California's water needs without building a canunnel, and - no surprise - the BDCP folks didn't like those recommendations.
Byron Buck, Executive Director of the State and Federal Contractors Water Agency, fired off a letter to Phil Isenberg taking issue with the recommendations, which are taken from EWC's publication "California Water Solutions Now."
EWC recommendations include aggressive statewide conservation, reductions in Delta pumping, and retirement of toxic farmlands. Byron Buck objected to the "emotional pejorative" of referring to lands on the west side as "toxic."
"The reality," he said, "is that the West Side Drainage Plan . . . has halved the salt and selenium loads to the Delta from this region. State mandated water quality requirements have been consistently met for over ten years and completion of the plan is expected to eliminate regular subsurface farmland drainage from the Grasslands drainage area to the Delta."
Westlands, according to Buck, is proposing to use similar techniques. Fallowing of select lands is part of salt management plans, but whole scale retirement is not necessary.
We'd just like to note that half of too much salt and selenium is still too much. We'd also like to note that it isn't too hard to meet state-mandated water quality requirements when you are in a position to bully the Water Board into mandating only the quality of water that is convenient for you to deliver.
Bethel Island Bass Tournament benefits the Delta
The first rain of the season didn't keep some dedicated bass fishermen from turning out last Sunday for a Bass Tournament at Russo's Marina benefiting Restore the Delta and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA). The largest fish was caught by the youngest fisherman. Thanks to all those who donated raffle items, including Steve Herringer of Heringer Wines. And a special thanks to Michael Frost, Bobby Barrack, Russo's Marina, and Cooch Cuchera for organizing the event. In our next issue, we will have a special section on the good works of our tournament sponsors and winners.
Give the Delta Protection Commission your input
DPC Primary Zone Study Updates, all from 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, November 3, Brentwood
Thursday, November 4, Thornton
Tuesday, November 9, Rio Vista
DPC Economic Sustainability Plan Forums
Monday, November 8, Oakley, 9-10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, November 10, West Lodi/North Stockton, 6-8 p.m.
Monday, November 15, Walnut Grove, 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 16, Clarksburg, 6-8 p.m.
See DPC website for details http://www.delta.ca.gov/
Never mind the NHA. Keep your eye on the Department of Interior.
We now know something about what has been going on the BDCP Principals' meetings, (which were not "secret" but which anybody present had to promise not to talk about).
We reported on October 10 that Lester Snow has said that decision-making about the BDCP would take place in public meetings.
Forget that.
Last week Interior Secretary Salazar met with the State and the Principals. His deputy, David Hayes, said that Delta conveyance is necessary and that "short term" protections and restoration of the Delta should be weakened.
We shouldn't be surprised at this position, considering that Hayes was formerly an attorney with a firm that represented the Metropolitan Water District. Before that, he was one of the architects of the failed Cal Fed process.
Salazar isn't contradicting Hayes. David Nawi, Senior Advisor to Secretary Salazar for California and Nevada, is apparently deferring to Salazar and Hayes on this issue.
On November 9, Salazar is scheduled to meet with BDCP Principals in Washington, D.C. The expectation is that the product of the Principals' meetings, a report titled "Issues for Discussion for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan" (available at http://www.resources.ca.gov/restoring_the_delta.html) will form the basis of a federal/State agreement.
This is the report that Lester Snow said was not a draft plan, just a progress report on what has been considered throughout the planning process.
A public draft of the BDCP and a draft EIR/EIS are coming due. It has become apparent to everyone that they won't be ready. Alternative approaches? There don't seem to be any. The long, costly BDCP charade may be coming to any end as the State and the feds push forward with the conveyance they always wanted.
Once again, as so often in the past, environmental protections are being treated as an inconvenience. It will be interesting to watch the Department of Interior contradict the biological opinions that shaped the most recent pumping limits.
And, of course with increased pumping, fragile fisheries hanging on by a thread may be wiped out all together. Then again, that may be the intent. No need to protect fish species that no longer exist.
The expectation is that Interior will lift pumping restrictions soon.
So what do Delta Counties do?
It is our understanding that representatives from the Five Delta Counties participated in this October 15th meeting in Tracy with Salazar and Hayes, either in person or on the phone. We have also heard that the Five Delta Counties have to decide if they as a group or individually want to participate in the BDCP discussions with the caveat that they cannot offer input and cannot vote.
Restore the Delta staff certainly understands that local government entities have a responsibility to interact with Federal and State officials in order to represent local communities. And in the case of these BDCP meetings, having the Five Delta Counties gathering information is better than having local government not knowing what is happening.
But, Restore the Delta strongly objects to a process directed by the BDCP Principals, in which officials from State and Federal government agencies can make the decisions on behalf of Delta fisheries, Delta resources, Delta communities, and Delta people without our input and consent.
We believe that this defiles what American democracy is all about.
This is not representative government.
More contempt for science?
The Environmental Water Caucus (EWC) gave the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) recommendations for meeting California's water needs without building a canunnel, and - no surprise - the BDCP folks didn't like those recommendations.
Byron Buck, Executive Director of the State and Federal Contractors Water Agency, fired off a letter to Phil Isenberg taking issue with the recommendations, which are taken from EWC's publication "California Water Solutions Now."
EWC recommendations include aggressive statewide conservation, reductions in Delta pumping, and retirement of toxic farmlands. Byron Buck objected to the "emotional pejorative" of referring to lands on the west side as "toxic."
"The reality," he said, "is that the West Side Drainage Plan . . . has halved the salt and selenium loads to the Delta from this region. State mandated water quality requirements have been consistently met for over ten years and completion of the plan is expected to eliminate regular subsurface farmland drainage from the Grasslands drainage area to the Delta."
Westlands, according to Buck, is proposing to use similar techniques. Fallowing of select lands is part of salt management plans, but whole scale retirement is not necessary.
We'd just like to note that half of too much salt and selenium is still too much. We'd also like to note that it isn't too hard to meet state-mandated water quality requirements when you are in a position to bully the Water Board into mandating only the quality of water that is convenient for you to deliver.
Bethel Island Bass Tournament benefits the Delta
The first rain of the season didn't keep some dedicated bass fishermen from turning out last Sunday for a Bass Tournament at Russo's Marina benefiting Restore the Delta and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA). The largest fish was caught by the youngest fisherman. Thanks to all those who donated raffle items, including Steve Herringer of Heringer Wines. And a special thanks to Michael Frost, Bobby Barrack, Russo's Marina, and Cooch Cuchera for organizing the event. In our next issue, we will have a special section on the good works of our tournament sponsors and winners.
Give the Delta Protection Commission your input
DPC Primary Zone Study Updates, all from 6-8 p.m.
Wednesday, November 3, Brentwood
Thursday, November 4, Thornton
Tuesday, November 9, Rio Vista
DPC Economic Sustainability Plan Forums
Monday, November 8, Oakley, 9-10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, November 10, West Lodi/North Stockton, 6-8 p.m.
Monday, November 15, Walnut Grove, 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 16, Clarksburg, 6-8 p.m.
See DPC website for details http://www.delta.ca.gov/
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