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Auburn Dam is best solution for water needs, says editorial

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 24, 2008 at 6:40 am

From the Manteca Bulletin, an editorial in support of the Auburn Dam. There are basically three solutions to California’s water woes, writes the managing editor: the peripheral canal, raising the height of Shasta Dam, or building the Auburn Dam.

Backers of the canal think this is the best option to manage Bay-Delta salinity issues while maintaining the quality of water being exported from Northern California to quench Los Angeles’ ever growing thirst. Raising the height of Shasta Dam is fraught with environmental concerns as is building the Auburn Dam.

The Auburn Dam, though, can add the most storage and effectively handle one of the heaviest precipitation watersheds on the western slopes of the Sierra. The reservoir could hold 2.1 million-acre feet - almost enough to meet statewide water shortfalls projected for 2020.

The dam site already has had trees and vegetation removed and other improvements such as a foundation and bridges in place. After hippies were unable to stop the dam from flooding a nude beach, the earth rumbled in 1972 to effectively stop Congress from authorizing the money for actual construction until seismic safety issues were studied further.

The Auburn Dam - operated in tandem with Hell Hole, French Meadows and Folsom Dam reservoirs - offers a powerful one-two punch of expanding water storage for growing south state urban needs as well as enhancing flood protection.

The Shasta Dam proposal only increases storage and only by half the amount of Auburn Dam. The Peripheral Canal simply assures Southern California clean water at the expense of the San Joaquin Valley and Delta farmers.

The Auburn Dam is a case of getting more bang for the buck.

Read more of this editorial from the Manteca Bulletin by clicking here.

July 24, 2008 · Filed Under Water Storage

Comments

One Response to “Auburn Dam is best solution for water needs, says editorial”

Bjorn on July 24th, 2008 3:10 pm

The Auburn Dam is a bad idea, made worse by each passing year. This is not the way forward, this is a leap backwards in every way.

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