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U.S. Senate panel OKs San Joaquin settlement

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 8, 2008 at 12:09 pm

From the Sacramento Bee:

A key Senate committee on Wednesday handily approved a revised but still ambitious bill to restore the San Joaquin River.

Following months of tinkering and political maneuvering, lawmakers quickly embraced the river restoration effort. The Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee’s approval by a bipartisan 15-7 margin builds momentum, while not eliminating all resistance. “Bottom line: This legislation can help resolve one of the oldest water disputes in the West,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said after the committee’s approval.

The bill authorizes work to improve the parched river channel below Friant Dam so more water can be released and salmon reintroduced. The bill has a federal price tag of roughly $190 million, although calculating the full cost of river restoration is very complicated.

“I see this as a huge federal commitment and expense that has a lot of implications and consequences,” cautioned Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., also warning of a “pretty heavy cost to taxpayers.”

Read the full text of this article from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

Central Valley Business Times adds this:

“This brings us one step closer to passing this landmark legislation,” says Ms. Feinstein. “The legislation would bring an end to 19 years of litigation between the National Resources Defense Council, Friant Water Users Authority, and the federal government. It would transform the San Joaquin into a living river and maintain a stable water supply for the farmers of the region.”

If the legislation fails, the fate of the San Joaquin River would be determined by a federal district judge who, the parties agree, would likely rule in favor of releasing much larger amounts of water at higher cost, and without any effort to mitigate farmers’ potential water losses, Ms. Feinstein says.

She says it is this threat that compelled the parties to the table, and brought them to agreement.

Read the full text of this article from the Central Valley Business Times (which includes a list of the specific terms of the settlement) by clicking here.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The original lawsuit stems from the opening of Friant Dam in 1949, which dried up portions of California’s second-longest river below the dam where salmon once ran thick. The Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups sued the Interior Department and others in 1988 over operations of the dam.

Bottom line: This legislation can help resolve one of the oldest water disputes in the West,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “If Congress doesn’t resolve it, a federal judge will — with consequences that would be more costly and impose a greater burden on farmers.”

Under the settlement, the Friant Water Users Authority would relinquish some of its traditional water use. Friant officials viewed that as preferable to having a judge establish the water flows. The total cost has been estimated around $500 million to $600 million, according to Hal Candee, lead negotiator for the NRDC. Some $200 million would come from state bond money and the bulk from irrigation districts.

The Senate bill sweetens the deal for water users by directing about $100 million for water projects, including strengthening of canals, meant to help Friant capture additional water during wet years.

“This was a very important step, particularly given the amendments to the bill,” said Ron Jacobsma, consulting general manager of the Friant Water Users Authority, which represents 22 water districts. “Everybody’s behind this thing.”

Read the full text of the story from the San Francisco Chronicle by clicking here.

May 8, 2008 · Filed Under Salmon, San Joaquin River Restoration