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Canal wins few converts in Delta; Peripheral waterway plan gets harsh reception in S.J.

Posted by: Maven on March 19, 2009 at 8:39 am

From Stockton’s Record:

Where’s the water?

County water leaders peppered peripheral canal proponents with questions and a few pointed comments Wednesday, saying there’s not enough water to maintain high exports to two-thirds of California while also saving the Delta. That’s precisely what the roughly $10 billion Bay-Delta Conservation Plan proposes to do: find a balance between water supply and ecosystem, in part by building a canal, plan spokeswoman Karla Nemeth told a feisty group of water commissioners.

“This is tough,” Nemeth said.

“It’s not tough, it’s impossible,” responded Commissioner John Herrick, an attorney who represents south Delta farmers.

The peripheral canal would be big enough to match the current capacity of the state and federal export pumps near Tracy; opponents fear it will siphon so much water around the Delta that farms will wither and the estuary will degrade into an inland sea.

Wednesday’s meeting, while lively, was informational only; on Tuesday, the public will have a chance to make formal comments and suggest alternatives to the plan, which would give water users authority to continue taking Delta water. “I understand there’s a lot of questions and concerns, and that’s probably putting it mildly,” Nemeth told water commissioners.

Karla Nemeth must be one tough cookie to go in there alone… Brave soul, she is …. Read more from Stockton’s Record by clicking here.

March 19, 2009 · Filed Under Delta Issues

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