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San Joaquin River Restoration Delayed
San Joaquin River Restoration Delayed
by Dan Bacher
For the first time in more than 60 years, water was supposed to be released today from Friant Dam to revitalize the dry San Joaquin riverbed, but the plan hit a big snag as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation waited to receive a permit from the State of California. As usual, the Schwarzenegger administration, the worst ever for fish and the environment in California history, has apparently done its best to block the restoration of California fisheries.
Ironically, the river's dry bed was scheduled to receive water at a time when Senator Diane Feinstein, Governor Arnold Schwarznegger, corporate agribusiness and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg are campaigning for a water bond that includes a peripheral canal to increase water exports to irrigate drainage impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and southern California. As the San Joaquin is scheduled to flow again, agribusiness and corrupt politicians are planning to destroy Sacramento River salmon and Delta fish populations. They are also conducting a campaign to gut a federal plan designed to prevent Central Valley chinook salmon, Delta smelt, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon and southern resident killer whales from becoming extinct.
While the restoration of the San Joaquin River is a good first step in the restoration of Central Valley fisheries, Schwarzengger and his collaborators are trying to engineer the extinction of Central Valley salmon and other fish populations. If their insane plan is not stopped, the restoration of the San Joaquin that will begin as soon as the state grants the federal government the necessary permit will become an irrevelant joke.
Schwarzenegger's campaign against Central Valley fish populations and fishing communities is accompanied by his fast track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, a racist, elitist and corrupt greenwashing process that removes Indian Tribes, seaweed harvesters, commercial fishermen and recreational anglers, the strongest defenders of marine ecosystems, from California ocean waters while doing nothing to stop threats to fisheries caused by pollution, oil spills, wave energy projects and increased water exports out of the Delta.
Schwarzenegger's MLPA fiasco has nothing to do with "marine protection" - it is in reality a cynical attempt by the Governor and corporate interests to privatize public trust resources. The process has steamrolled over the fishing and harvesting rights of federally recognized Indian Nations such as the Kashia, a Pomo Indian Tribe that has been banned from harvesting abalone, mussels and seaweed off Stewarts Point in Sonoma County by a August vote by Schwarzenegger's handpicked Fish and Game Commission.
The following is the press release about the San Joaquin flow restoration from NRDC.
Photo of Friant Dam from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
by Dan Bacher
For the first time in more than 60 years, water was supposed to be released today from Friant Dam to revitalize the dry San Joaquin riverbed, but the plan hit a big snag as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation waited to receive a permit from the State of California. As usual, the Schwarzenegger administration, the worst ever for fish and the environment in California history, has apparently done its best to block the restoration of California fisheries.
Ironically, the river's dry bed was scheduled to receive water at a time when Senator Diane Feinstein, Governor Arnold Schwarznegger, corporate agribusiness and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg are campaigning for a water bond that includes a peripheral canal to increase water exports to irrigate drainage impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and southern California. As the San Joaquin is scheduled to flow again, agribusiness and corrupt politicians are planning to destroy Sacramento River salmon and Delta fish populations. They are also conducting a campaign to gut a federal plan designed to prevent Central Valley chinook salmon, Delta smelt, Central Valley steelhead, green sturgeon and southern resident killer whales from becoming extinct.
While the restoration of the San Joaquin River is a good first step in the restoration of Central Valley fisheries, Schwarzengger and his collaborators are trying to engineer the extinction of Central Valley salmon and other fish populations. If their insane plan is not stopped, the restoration of the San Joaquin that will begin as soon as the state grants the federal government the necessary permit will become an irrevelant joke.
Schwarzenegger's campaign against Central Valley fish populations and fishing communities is accompanied by his fast track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, a racist, elitist and corrupt greenwashing process that removes Indian Tribes, seaweed harvesters, commercial fishermen and recreational anglers, the strongest defenders of marine ecosystems, from California ocean waters while doing nothing to stop threats to fisheries caused by pollution, oil spills, wave energy projects and increased water exports out of the Delta.
Schwarzenegger's MLPA fiasco has nothing to do with "marine protection" - it is in reality a cynical attempt by the Governor and corporate interests to privatize public trust resources. The process has steamrolled over the fishing and harvesting rights of federally recognized Indian Nations such as the Kashia, a Pomo Indian Tribe that has been banned from harvesting abalone, mussels and seaweed off Stewarts Point in Sonoma County by a August vote by Schwarzenegger's handpicked Fish and Game Commission.
The following is the press release about the San Joaquin flow restoration from NRDC.
Photo of Friant Dam from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Serena Ingre, 415-875-6155, cell: 703-296-0702, singre [at] nrdc.org
San Joaquin River Reborn
For First Time in 60 Years, Water Begins to Flow
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 1, 2009) – Californians will be witness to a historic event today: the revival of the San Joaquin, one of the West’s largest rivers. For the first time in almost 60 years, flows will be released from Friant Dam down the dry San Joaquin riverbed as a critical first step toward bringing a river and vital public resource back to life.
The flows are the first major milestone under a historic settlement agreement reached in 2006 between the Natural Resources Defense Council, Friant Water Users Authority and the federal government over the de-watering of the river that devastated one of California's largest salmon runs. The settlement ended 18 years of legal battles and initiated one of the largest river restoration projects in the nation.
NRDC said that restoring flows and the historic salmon runs on the San Joaquin will help California’s ailing commercial salmon industry, create jobs and help improve water quality in the Bay-Delta, a source of drinking water for 22 million Californians. This historic restoration effort serves as an important example of how farmers, fishermen, environmentalists, state and federal agencies can work together to implement real solutions to California’s conflicts over water resources.
Following is a statement by Monty Schmitt, Senior Water Resources Scientist and San Joaquin River Restoration Project Manager at the NRDC:
“Restoring flows today to the San Joaquin River reflects commitment on the part of farmers, fishermen, state and federal agencies and environmentalists to implement real solutions to California water resource challenges.
“These first flows to the San Joaquin are evidence of the dedication and hard work of many to restore California’s second largest river and once-abundant salmon fisheries while continuing to support the state’s agricultural economy. The restoration effort will create construction-related jobs, help revive the commercial salmon fishing industry, and bring a vital public resource back to life for future generations to enjoy. Restoring the San Joaquin River also will improve water quality for farmers and millions of Californians who rely on the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta for their water supply.
“While the water released today is a fraction of the historic flows, it will enable the collection of information critical to improving our understanding of the river and how best to design a successful long-term program with the limited water available that achieves the program’s restoration and water management goals.”
For more information read Monty Schmitt’s blog at http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mschmitt/
More about the NRDC settlement: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2009/090325.asp
Press contact: Serena Ingre, 415-875-6155, cell: 703-296-0702, singre [at] nrdc.org
San Joaquin River Reborn
For First Time in 60 Years, Water Begins to Flow
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 1, 2009) – Californians will be witness to a historic event today: the revival of the San Joaquin, one of the West’s largest rivers. For the first time in almost 60 years, flows will be released from Friant Dam down the dry San Joaquin riverbed as a critical first step toward bringing a river and vital public resource back to life.
The flows are the first major milestone under a historic settlement agreement reached in 2006 between the Natural Resources Defense Council, Friant Water Users Authority and the federal government over the de-watering of the river that devastated one of California's largest salmon runs. The settlement ended 18 years of legal battles and initiated one of the largest river restoration projects in the nation.
NRDC said that restoring flows and the historic salmon runs on the San Joaquin will help California’s ailing commercial salmon industry, create jobs and help improve water quality in the Bay-Delta, a source of drinking water for 22 million Californians. This historic restoration effort serves as an important example of how farmers, fishermen, environmentalists, state and federal agencies can work together to implement real solutions to California’s conflicts over water resources.
Following is a statement by Monty Schmitt, Senior Water Resources Scientist and San Joaquin River Restoration Project Manager at the NRDC:
“Restoring flows today to the San Joaquin River reflects commitment on the part of farmers, fishermen, state and federal agencies and environmentalists to implement real solutions to California water resource challenges.
“These first flows to the San Joaquin are evidence of the dedication and hard work of many to restore California’s second largest river and once-abundant salmon fisheries while continuing to support the state’s agricultural economy. The restoration effort will create construction-related jobs, help revive the commercial salmon fishing industry, and bring a vital public resource back to life for future generations to enjoy. Restoring the San Joaquin River also will improve water quality for farmers and millions of Californians who rely on the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta for their water supply.
“While the water released today is a fraction of the historic flows, it will enable the collection of information critical to improving our understanding of the river and how best to design a successful long-term program with the limited water available that achieves the program’s restoration and water management goals.”
For more information read Monty Schmitt’s blog at http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mschmitt/
More about the NRDC settlement: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2009/090325.asp
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