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Westlands water rescue plan debated; Environmentalists fight growers’ plan to pump ground water into aqueduct

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 12, 2008 at 7:55 am

From the Fresno Bee:

Environmentalists say they will fight a proposal by Valley farmers to pump salty ground water into the canal that delivers drinking water to millions of south state residents.

Growers in the west Valley are pitching the plan as a way to boost dwindling water supplies. If it were pumped into the California Aqueduct, water could be moved to farmers who don’t have access to wells. Something needs to be done quickly, the drought-stricken farmers say, or they will have to lay off more workers and abandon more crops.

In an emergency declaration last week, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors urged Gov. Schwarzenegger to temporarily “relax the water quality standards” to enable piping of ground water into the aqueduct. The 444-mile concrete canal sends delta water to Southern California cities and Valley farms, but has rarely been used to transfer farm water within the west Valley. The administration says all that’s needed is a finding that the blended ground-delta water meets quality objectives specified in state water contracts. State officials are trying to work out an agreement with water customers. But environmentalists say growers would have to go one step further — apply for a federal permit under the Clean Water Act that could take months to approve.

Bill Jennings, executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, said his group would immediately sue if water were pumped without a permit. “It’s not something the governor can wave his wand and make it happen,” said Jennings, a longtime water-quality advocate.