Protect Sacramento Valley Water From Sales to the South

Protect Sacramento Valley Water From Sales to the South

SVEWC PLENARY: Friday, June 9. 10am-4pm. Chico City Council Chamber
Cost: Free. Bring your own lunch or get one from a local sandwich
shop.

While the State Water Plan presents a strategy that uses conservation
and watershed rehabilitation to create a "less resource intensive"
water demand scenario, water purveyors are relentlessly insisting
that the Sacramento Valley Watershed compromise the region's
ecological integrity to sell its water resources to powerful
political entities south of the Delta.

The Sacramento Valley Environmental Watershed Caucus (SVEWC) is
presenting an examination of the impacts and viable alternatives to
the more resource intensive plan that threatens the economy,
recreation and environment of all areas in the Valley. We believe
that if the public knows about the dangers such water sales encumber
on interests throughout the Sacramento watershed and the better
alternatives water purchasers have, that we will convince our elected
representatives to stop these unfair and dangerous transfers from
occurring.

The SVEWC invites everyone interested to attend our June 9 plenary
and hear from the following experts and stewards of our water resources.

* Scientists with The Nature Conservancy will review the data and
analysis that shows how high seasonal flows in Sacramento Valley
rivers and streams are necessary for ecosystem sustainability -. The
Valley doesn?t have much water to sell when we realize that existing
water management practices are steadily killing the riparian
ecosystems throughout the Sacramento Valley and the state.

* Jim Brobeck, Butte Environmental Council?s water policy analyst,
will discuss the rapidly unfolding efforts to gain lucrative
entitlements to the Tuscan Aquifer that supports creeks, native
forests, towns and orchards located along the Eastern edge of the
Valley. The desire to make large profits selling water from the
Valley to developers and agricultural corporations south of the Delta
is causing more and more farmers and water districts to sell their
surface water and make up for it by tapping into the common Tuscan
Aquifer

* Steve Evans, Friends of the River Conservation Director, will
present his analysis of the proposed Sites reservoir and an update of
Delta ecosystem impacts associated with water transfers.

* The Winnemem Wintu saw many of their sacred sites drowned and
salmon fishing destroyed with the construction of Shasta Dam and
Reservoir. Winnemem Wintu Chief and Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk-
Franco will discuss the Nation's fight to protect the salmon from the
Bureau of Reclamation's new water policy and to stop the raising of
Shasta Dam and the loss of key remaining spiritual places.

* Leaders from the Planning and Conservation League will present
their Investment Strategy which identifies a cost-effective,
environmentally beneficial water management scenario. If the state
follows this scenario, Valley water can be used for environmental
benefits and saved for future needs while Southern California cities
can fully meet their water needs more cheaply and more securely than
buying water from Valley interests.

This Plenary meeting will help conservationists gain the information
they need to present a unified challenge to the false premise that
California must sacrifice the northern California environment to
supply ever increasing amounts of water to the south.

For more information contact:
John Merz, Sacramento River Preservation Trust at 530-345-1865
Barbara Vlamis, Butte Environmental Council at 891-6424