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Metropolitan Water District statement & ACWA’s statement on PPIC’s “Comparing Futures” report on Delta

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 17, 2008 at 8:38 pm

From Business Wire, this press release from Metropolitan Water District:

Timothy F. Brick, chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issues the following statement regarding the report “Comparing Futures for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta” released today by the Public Policy Institute of California:

“This report shows the way to change the future of the Delta toward a sustainable system. The old Peripheral Canal of the 1980s was all about water supply and perceived water needs. The alternative conveyance recommended in today’s PPIC report is about preparing for climate change, insuring against seismic risk, and balancing the needs of the environment and the economy.

“Inaction is the most dangerous course, both for this treasured estuary and its water system that helps feed the nation and provides 70 percent of the water to the San Francisco Bay area, about 30 percent of the water for Southern California and much of the water for the Central Valley. Partial action is not an option either. Only bold steps will protect California.

All Californians must embrace the need to restore this ecosystem. The question for the Delta’s water system isn’t whether to build a better one, but how? The coming inevitable transition for the Delta, while understandably unsettling for many, must be planned for and managed in a way that recognizes the many key public values associated with the Delta.

“Metropolitan’s priority is to stabilize—not increase—water supplies from the Delta. Southern California’s water to meet future needs will come from continued investment in conservation, recycling and local efforts. That is a very different water management philosophy from a generation ago. Metropolitan supports partnerships in the Delta that place the needs of the ecosystem and of the economy on equal footing.

“This report challenges California and its leaders to urgently pursue a new course for the Delta. We must all rise to this challenge. The price of failing to seize this opportunity and to create a sustainable Delta and smarter water system is simply too great.”

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.

Also from Business Wire, the ACWA issued this statement:

Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn issued the following statement on a new report issued by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). The report, “Comparing Futures for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,” concludes that building a peripheral canal to carry water around the Delta is the least expensive and most promising strategy to revive the troubled ecosystem and ensure reliable water supplies for Californians.

Authors of the report include engineers Jay Lund and William Fleenor of UC Davis; economists Ellen Hanak of the PPIC and Richard Howitt of UC Davis; biologists Peter Moyle and William Bennett of UC Davis; and geologist Jeffrey Mount of UC Davis.

“This report takes an unflinching look at the troubled Delta and shines a bright light on the choices we must make to reverse the downward spiral. The analysis offered up by this courageous team of experts is hugely valuable to the public processes under way through Delta Vision and the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan. We applaud the authors for taking on this issue.

“We agree that the current system is unsustainable and is failing both our environment and our economy. It will take tremendous investment and leadership to make our system sustainable so it can meet the co-equal objectives of restoring the ecosystem and improving water supply reliability for the economy.

“In developing this report, PPIC has done a great public service; now it is up to our political leaders and the public processes under way to do their job. A deepening drought, struggling ecosystems and court-ordered reductions in water deliveries have put us squarely in the most serious water crisis in a half-century. The need for action has never been more urgent.”

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.

July 17, 2008 · Filed Under Peripheral Canal

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