Representative Jerry McNerney blasts peripheral canal plans

Representative Jerry McNerney blasts peripheral canal plans

by Dan Bacher

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) slammed state and federal plans to build a peripheral canal in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta during his speech on the floor of the House of Representatives on July 27.

In his remarks, Rep. McNerney also shared his strong support for landowners in the Delta area who are fighting attempts by the State of California to conduct surveys and studies without permission on private land.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to stand shoulder to shoulder with landowners from the San Joaquin Delta who are fighting against the peripheral canal," said McNerney. "Without permission, the state is sending its employees onto private farmland to conduct the surveys and studies it would need to build a canal."

"Delta farmers aren’t standing for it," affirmed McNerney. "Delta farmers have taken their case to the courts, and I urge them to keep fighting for their property rights and the health of our Delta."

“A peripheral canal or tunnel that takes large amounts of fresh water from the Delta would devastate families, farmers, and businesses in our community. A canal will cause saltwater intrusion, destroy thousands of acres of farmland, and devastate our water quality. It’s time for state and federal agencies to respect the Delta and its people. We won’t tolerate anything less," he concluded.

Bill Jennings, executive director/chairman of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and board member of Restore the Delta, applauded McNerney for speaking out against plans to build the peripheral canal.

"McNerney is one of the most celebral, educated and thoughtful members of Congress," said Jennings. "We had no doubt that, after thoughtfully analyzing the facts, he would could come out staunchly against the peripheral canal that would devastate farming, busienss and fishing communities in the Delta."

"Anyone who values the natural resources of the estuary and Delta communities would inevitably come to the conclusion that a peripheral canal would be the executioner's' warrant for this estuary," said Jennings.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, also praised McNerney for his statement. "Congressman McNerney not only came out in support of Delta farmers today, but he was the first Congressional Representative to outright oppose the peripheral canal. Kudos to Congressman McNerney!" said Barrigan-Parrilla.

A video of McNerney's floor statement can be viewed at: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=696496882634&oid=215241308510238&comments

McNerney joins a growing coalition of fishing groups, family farmers, Indian Tribes, environmental organizations, environmental justice communities, Delta residents and other Californians opposed to the construction of the peripheral canal/tunnel.

The Brown and Obama administrations, in the footsteps of the Schwarzenegger administration, are fast-tracking the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to build a peripheral canal or tunnel to divert Sacramento River water to corporate agribusiness and southern California.

As McNerney spoke out against the canal, one of the greatest fish kills in California history continued to take place in the state and federal Delta pumps.

An astounding total of 8,942,347 splittail, 35,435 chinook salmon, 385,392 striped bass, 49,812 largemouth bass, 67,383 bluegill, 66,403 white catfish, 20,178 channel catfish, 91,956 threadfin shad, 166,336 American shad, 1,642 steelhead and 51 Delta smelt were “salvaged” in the state and federal water export facilities from January 1 to July 21, 2011, according to DFG data. However, an array of scientific studies indicate that the actual numbers of fish killed in the pumping facilities is many times larger than the "salvage" counts.

Record amounts of water are being exported from the Delta, even though southern California reservoirs are full and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is selling water for cut-rate prices. For more information, go to: http://blogs.alternet.org/danbacher/2011/07/22.

The Brown and Obama administrations, rather than exporting record amounts of water and presiding over one of the largest fish kills in California history, should instead work to restore Central Valley salmon and Delta fish populations. They should heed the call by the majority of Californians to abandon plans put in place by the worst Governor in California history, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to build a peripheral canal or tunnel.

“The peripheral canal is a big, stupid idea that doesn’t make any sense from a tribal environmental perspective,” summed up Mark Franco, headman of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, who are now working to restore winter run chinook salmon to the McCloud River above Shasta Dam. “Building a canal to save the Delta is like a doctor inserting an arterial bypass from your shoulder to your hand– it will cause your elbow to die just like taking water out of the Delta through a peripheral canal will cause the Delta to die.”

For action alerts and more information on the battle to restore the Delta, go to: http://www.restorethedelta.org.