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North state lawsuit a major onslaught in war over water

Posted by: Maven on February 19, 2010 at 8:25 am

From the Contra Costa Times:

“Invoking the specter of a century-old Los Angeles water grab, Northern California farmers have filed a lawsuit that may escalate the state’s ongoing water crisis.

The farmers say the San Joaquin Valley communities hardest hit by drought and new protections for endangered species in the Delta — including the nation’s largest irrigation district — are nevertheless illegally getting water that belongs to the northerners.

“The last thing we want to see is the Sacramento Valley become another Owens Valley,” said Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority general manager Jeff Sutton. He was referring to the early 20th century raid on the Owens Valley by Los Angeles, an episode made famous by the 1974 movie “Chinatown.”

At issue are guarantees made before California’s two major water projects were built to deliver water through the Delta to parts of the Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.

Those guarantees, known as “area of origin” laws, say that water-rich areas of the state would not end up water poor when the projects started shipping water elsewhere. … “

Read more from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.

February 19, 2010 · Filed Under Northern California, Water Rights

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