Governor Schwarzenegger issues statement supporting Two Gates Fish Protection Delta project to bring more water to Californians; & Aquafornia answers the question, what’s the Two Gates project?

From Governor Schwarzenegger’s office, this press release:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement regarding the Two Gates Fish Protection Demonstration Project, designed to protect Delta smelt and increase the reliability of water exports:

“With mandatory water restrictions and crops lying fallow, it is clear that every Californian is suffering from our water shortage – and this project will provide much-needed relief. While I remain committed to getting a comprehensive water deal done this year, I will aggressively work with local, state and federal officials toward the speedy approval and completion of the Two Gates project so that California’s bread basket can continue to feed the world.”

Under the plan, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would install and operate removable gate structures in two key locations in the central Delta. The Two Gates Project is designed to provide the same or better protection for delta smelt and other sensitive aquatic species at the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project, while allowing additional water for use by municipal and agricultural water users south of the Delta. The gates would be temporary facilities to be removed after five years.

Today, Governor Schwarzenegger traveled to Mendota in the Central Valley to view some of the worst affects of our three-year drought. There, he announced that he has requested a federal disaster declaration from President Obama for Fresno County and issued Executive Order S-11-09, activating the California Disaster Assistance Act.

So what is the Two Gates project? Here’s a description from the June 9 board meeting of Metropolitan Water District:

The Two-Gates Fish Protection Project is a key near-term project that, according to modeling analysis, should assist in reducing entrainment of Delta smelt and other sensitive aquatic species at the state and federal Delta pumping facilities without adversely affecting Chinook salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or Longfin smelt. The Project would be implemented by installing of an operable gate structure on Old River and Connection Slough in the central Delta between the cities of Stockton and Antioch. Hydrodynamic modeling analyses have also indicated that gate operations could improve water quality in the central and south Delta.

Staff from Metropolitan, San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority, and Contra Costa Water District have been working together to analyze the Project’s benefits and impacts, and to initiate development of the environmental review documents. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) would likely act as lead agencies under the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Protection Act, respectively.

Read more from the MWD Board of Directors notes by clicking here.

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