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New coalition emerges in state water debate

Posted by: Maven on April 16, 2009 at 8:13 am

From Capitol Weekly:

Dozens of public water agencies — including some who were foes in California’s historic battles over water — are coming together to push their common interests. In some cases, those include protecting traditional water rights and advocating for such hot-button projects as reservoirs, environmental safeguards, improved levees, even a canal along the edge of the Delta east of San Francisco, to name just a few.

By its own count, the Public Water Coalition, loosely formed last fall, includes more than 300 water suppliers, state and federal public districts, contractors and others. The new group – it’s so new that some even in the water and environmental communities have not heard of it — includes “the largest water management regions of California, whose public water agencies serve the vast majority of the state’s population and most of its irrigated lands,” according to the coalition’s official position paper, which was released Feb. 18.

The coalition reflects the frustration of water agencies who see their problems of supply, conveyance and storage mounting.

“What you’re seeing right now is that water agencies are saying, ‘We can’t rely on state agencies to fix it. We need to take a more active approach. If it means paying out of our own pockets, we need to do that,” said Thad Bettner of the Glenn Colusa Irrigation District.

“We need to be more proactive because the water system is just not working. From a Northern California perspective, we need a comprehensive statewide solution. We’ve got infrastructure circa 1960 and we need an infrastructure for today’s needs,” he added.

Read more from Capitol Weekly by clicking here.

April 16, 2009 · Filed Under General Water Issues

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