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Saturday’s top of the scroll: Dam plan for Valley a distant dream: Temperance Flat project, although promising to supply new water to Valley farms, is mired in skepticism

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 21, 2009 at 9:06 am

big table mountainFrom the Fresno Bee:

“When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently picked Friant Dam as the spot to sign an $11 billion water bond proposal, the symbolism was clear: One day, a new dam will rise to the east, supplying new water to Valley farms.

Or will it?

Some — including both fans and foes of a proposed Temperance Flat dam — doubt the long-envisioned project will ever get a share of the $3 billion set aside in the bond for storage.

Just taking the first step is problematic: State voters must approve the bond a year from now. But even if they do, Temperance Flat faces many hurdles, as do the two other proposed dams that could be financed through the recent water legislation.

Under the bill, water users must commit to covering a major share of construction costs, which for Temperance totals an estimated $3.4 billion. And an unelected water commission must decide the dams provide “public benefits,” such as improved flood control and new water to aid fish and wildlife.

“I think there is a slim chance [Temperance Flat] will be built,” said Jonas Minton, water policy adviser for the Planning and Conservation League, an environmental group that opposes dams and the bond. … “

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

November 21, 2009 · Filed Under Water Storage

Comments

2 Responses to “Saturday’s top of the scroll: Dam plan for Valley a distant dream: Temperance Flat project, although promising to supply new water to Valley farms, is mired in skepticism”

  1. dfb on November 21st, 2009 4:36 pm

    Desal is too sexy. People I’ve talked to (SoCal) would rather pay for desal and get more guaranteed water than build another expensive dam to hold water they will never get. At least with desal, as the thinking goes, you pump as you go and the ocean will not have much season al variation.

  2. On the Public Record on November 23rd, 2009 10:59 am

    The other nice thing about desal is that the water it produces doesn’t need to be treated. It already meets drinking water standards.

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