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San Joaquin River wrangling continues

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on February 16, 2009 at 6:01 am

From the Fresno Bee:

The revival of the San Joaquin River will officially begin with a shot of fresh water in October — capping decades of courtroom battles and years of delicate negotiations over funding.

But the wrangling over the state’s second-longest river is far from over.

People are only now beginning to discuss other issues, such a proposal by developers in Madera County to pour treated sewage into the river not far from salmon-spawning areas.
San Joaquin River wrangling continues

Some people also are wondering how to keep downstream water users from siphoning the restoration water. And east-side farmers, who will give up irrigation water for the restoration, want authorities to recapture and return some water to farm fields.

Meanwhile, a lot of people are ready to argue about the exact course of the rebuilt river.

Congress soon is expected to give the green light to $88 million in restoration funding for a settlement in the river lawsuit, which was filed nearly 21 years ago to restore salmon to the river. The full restoration price tag could eventually be 10 times higher.

The restoration would make the river a continuous stream again, connecting a fractured, 153-mile stretch from Friant Dam to the mouth of the Merced River. Beyond the Merced the river has remained a flowing stream to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

With the first revival flows coming this fall, local activists say it’s time to consider the river differently.

“It will become a statewide drinking water source. It will become habitat for endangered species and migratory fish,” said Chris Acree, executive director of Fresno-based Revive the San Joaquin. “It will become a new recreational source.”

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

February 16, 2009 · Filed Under San Joaquin River Restoration

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