Brown's Water Plan Includes Peripheral Canal

Brown's Water Plan Includes Peripheral Canal

by Dan Bacher

Jerry Brown, the Democratic candidate for California Governor, on Wednesday released a water plan that includes a peripheral canal/tunnel around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and new storage facilities.

In his "Water Plan For The 21st Century" posted on his website (http://www.jerrybrown.org/water-plan-21st-century), Brown endorsed the construction of a peripheral canal to facilitate the export of water to agribusiness and southern California.

Brown says he supports "conveyance and storage investments, such as a peripheral canal or tunnel, that provide a net benefit in ecosystem and water quality conditions and where the beneficiaries pay for the benefits they receive."

In several places in his plan, Brown has echoed the co-equal goals of '"ecosystem restoration" and "water supplies" that the Schwarzenegger administration has constantly pushed in his press conferences, photo opportunities and news releases. These are the same co-equal goals that many fishery and Delta advocates believe led to the failure of the joint state and federal CalFed program initiated in 1994.

"As Governor, I will: Ensure that the newly-formed Delta Stewardship Council completes a Delta Plan that achieves the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and creating a more reliable water supply for California," Brown stated.

A broad coalition of environmental organizations, fishing groups, consumer groups, Indian Tribes, family farmers and Delta residents opposes the construction of a peripheral canal because of its enormous environmental and financial costs. Canal opponents fear that canal's construction will lead to the extinction of collapsing populations of Central Valley steelhead, Sacramento River Chinook salmon, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, Sacramento splittail, green sturgeon and other species. The construction of the canal would cost an estimated $23 billion to $53.8 billion, according to an analysis last year by Steven Kasower, economist.

Restore the Delta, a coalition of family farmers, environmentalists, fishermen and Delta residents opposed to the construction of the canal, reacted to Brown's endorsement of the canal on Wednesday by not endorsing either Brown or Republican candidate Meg Whitman for Governor.

"Now that both candidates are for the peripheral canal, Restore the Delta will recommend that our supporters vote for the candidate whom they think is least capable of actually implementing his or her ideas," said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign director of Restore the Delta.

While backing the canal and new water storage, Brown also supports some solutions to California's water problems that many conservationists, environmental justice advocates and fishermen support. These include:

• Appointing State and Regional Water Board members who thoughtfully enforce state and federal water quality laws

• Strengthening programs that regulate discharge of wastewater into California's rivers, lakes and streams

• Continuing to implement Integrated Regional Water Management Plans that adopt pollution control measures and support pollution control programs

• Supporting programs designed to prevent groundwater contamination

• Securing federal support from the US Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance to low-income communities, especially in rural areas, to upgrade water treatment facilities and protect water quality

In contrast with Brown who only recently came out in support of the canal, Meg Whitman has strongly supported a peripheral canal and new dams throughout her campaign. “I was a proponent of the water bond that was just kicked to 2012 and I think that was wrong," she stated. "I was a supporter of that bond…. It had all the elements, it had, above and below ground storage, it had an outline for the peripheral canal.”

Whitman has also completely sided with corporate agribusiness – and against working men and women in the fishing industry devastated by the Central Valley salmon population collapse – in supporting increased Delta pumping. On May 26, 2010, she praised Federal Court Judge Oliver Wanger's decision to temporarily lift the Delta pumping restrictions protecting endangered salmon Central Valley populations.

"I am encouraged by the Federal Court's decision earlier this week that ruled to temporarily lift the pumping restrictions in order to increase water deliveries to the Central Valley," said Whitman in a statement. "This is just a start. We need a comprehensive solution and strong leadership to really fix California's water crisis."

Many political insiders are puzzled why Brown is supporting the construction of a peripheral canal because this controversial project was overwhelmingly defeated by California voters in 1982. In fact, the peripheral canal is so unpopular with voters that the Governor and Legislative leadership recently postponed the vote on the $11.14 billion water bond to November 2012 to prevent the bond from being crushed by the voters this November. The bond creates the infrastructure to be used in tandem with a peripheral canal/tunnel.

Mark Franco, headman of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, describes the absurdity of building the peripheral canal to "save" the Delta better than anybody.

“The peripheral canal is a big, stupid idea that doesn’t make any sense from a tribal environmental perspective,” says Franco. “Building a canal to save the Delta is like a doctor inserting an arterial bypass from your shoulder to your hand– it will cause your elbow to die just like taking water out of the Delta through a peripheral canal will cause the Delta to die.”

While Brown calls describes his proposal as a "Water Plan For The 21st Century," the plan includes a peripheral canal and new dams that are in fact Nineteenth Century solutions to Twenty-First Century water problems.


Below is Brown's water plan:

Water Plan For The 21st Century

California's water is threatened as never before. Climate change, invasive species, toxic chemicals, dumping and just plain inefficiency threaten California's water supplies. The Bay-Delta ecosystem, which provides water for 25 million Californians and hundreds of thousands of acres of farm land, is collapsing. Groundwater is being pumped at unsustainable rates. And our water infrastructure - dams, levees, canals - is old and vulnerable to earth quakes, sea level rise and saltwater intrusion.

Ensuring safe and sufficient water supplies for the 21st century requires significant investments in our water infrastructure and natural ecosystems. After five decades of divisive wrangling, the time has arrived for the governor to provide real leadership and solve our longstanding water problems. The goal must be to maintain and enhance water supplies for all Californians and take action to restore the Bay-Delta and meet California's true water needs.

MY RECORD ON WATER:

As Governor:

Awarded $2 billion in clean water grants, improving drinking water quality and creating 48,000 jobs statewide

Won federal protection for five wild and scenic rivers in California

Signed legislation authorizing construction of a Peripheral Canal and other water facilities - all requiring strong environmental protection

Used funding from the Energy and Resources Fund to reforest private timberlands, restock lakes and rivers, preserve wetlands, and promote soil and water conservation

Created a state Office of Water Recycling with the goal of tripling water recycling; and created the first Office of Water Conservation

As Attorney General:

Recovered $19.5 million from Shell Oil for underground gas tank violations that threatened groundwater and drinking water supplies

Worked with District Attorneys statewide to bring multiple actions against companies for illegal disposal of toxic wastes and groundwater contamination

MY PLAN:

To protect water quality and supplies, I will:

1. Ensure Safe Drinking Water for All Californians

While we have made significant strides in water treatment, toxic chemicals and other pollutants continue to threaten the drinking water of millions of Californians. As Governor, I will strive to make California's drinking water safe by:

Improving and protecting the Delta ecosystem and water supply

Appointing State and Regional Water Board members who thoughtfully enforce state and federal water quality laws

Strengthening programs that regulate discharge of wastewater into California's rivers, lakes and streams
Continuing to implement Integrated Regional Water Management Plans that adopt pollution control measures and support pollution control programs

Supporting programs designed to prevent groundwater contamination

Securing federal support from the US Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance to low-income communities, especially in rural areas, to upgrade water treatment facilities and protect water quality

2. Recognize the critical role of water in California Agriculture

Irrigated agriculture is the backbone of our agriculture economy. Reduced water supplies due to protection of endangered species, declining groundwater levels, changes in reservoir operation due to climate change, and other factors threaten the irrigation supply. Farmers need water supply reliability. As Governor I will:

Use the State Water Project, within the limits of existing contracts, to facilitate water transfers that improve agricultural viability

Create a permanent Office of Agricultural Water Supply Improvement to facilitate water sales and transfers benefiting agriculture

Encourage state and federal programs which help farmers make more of their water supplies

Seek partnerships between agricultural, environmental and urban water users which better utilize water supplies to serve multiple uses, such as providing incentives to farmers and agricultural districts to implement agricultural practices that benefit the environment while improving crop productivity

Support research at the University of California which helps farmers improve the efficiency of water use, improve the efficiency of groundwater pumping facilities to lower water cost, develop new varieties of crops which maintain or improve productivity while using less water, and find ways of making economic use of agricultural wastewater supplies

Implement state programs to assist farmers and irrigation districts to improve irrigation efficiency

Support programs to maintain California agriculture's global competitiveness

3. Increase Water Supplies by Expanding Water Efficiency and Recycling

Increasing the efficiency of water use - cutting waste and increasing recycling - is the most cost-effective, lowest impact way to expand water supplies. For instance, water efficiency standards for clothes washers set by the California Energy Commission save enough water to meet the annual water needs of the City of San Diego. Reducing water waste also saves energy since water pumping, heating, and treatment are major consumers of electricity (20% of the state's electricity goes to moving, cleaning and disposing of water). California currently has over 250 water recycling plants, but we must expand this capacity significantly to meet the state's goal of recycling over one million acre-feet of water annually. By using this water for irrigation and industrial purposes, the state's urban water supply will be increased by 20%. As Governor, I will:

Fully implement Senate Bill 7x7 which calls for improved water efficiency by both urban and agricultural users
Support incentives for increased water efficiency and recycling

Direct the California Energy Commission in coordination with the Department of Water Resources to adopt water efficiency standards for appliances that reduce both water and energy consumption and to adopt public education programs similar to "Flex our Power" to increase water efficiency

Increase capture of urban storm-water through cisterns, groundwater infiltration and other retention facilities

Consolidate and facilitate the permitting of recycled and reclaimed water projects

4. Restore and Maintain Groundwater Supplies

Groundwater provides an average of 30% of the water used in California and as much as 40% in drought years. Some communities rely entirely on groundwater for their water supply. Groundwater is also an increasingly important component of water storage in California. In the past 15 years, California has added groundwater storage capacity equivalent to 1.5 times the capacity of Lake Shasta, the State's largest reservoir. Yet groundwater faces serious threats from pollution and overdraft (the extraction of groundwater at an unsustainable rate), both of which must be addressed to maintain safe, adequate groundwater supplies. As Governor, I will:

Support development and implementation of Integrated Regional Water Management Plans that address surface and groundwater supplies and quality, as well as associated ecosystem and habitat needs and benefits

Direct the Department of Water Resources to assist those responsible for groundwater monitoring and reporting of groundwater levels

Foster programs that improve groundwater management by local agencies and lead to more sustainable groundwater use

5. Protect and Restore the Delta

In addition to providing water for 25 million Californians, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is home to many small communities. It also provides important farmland, recreational opportunities and habitat for fisheries, endangered species and other wildlife. The Delta ecosystem faces numerous threats from water diversions, unreliable levees, invasive species, polluted runoff from agriculture and urban areas, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion and more. California must implement a science-based plan to ensure safe and adequate water supplies while addressing the severe challenges facing the Delta. As Governor, I will:

Ensure that the newly-formed Delta Stewardship Council completes a Delta Plan that achieves the co-equal goals of restoring the Delta ecosystem and creating a more reliable water supply for California

Prioritize levee repairs to protect existing communities and water supplies

Require the Delta Stewardship Council and Department of Water Resources to integrate sea level rise and other climate change impacts into the Delta Plan

Ensure that the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan is a multi-objective, integrated flood management plan that protects existing urban areas, and considers protection, restoration, and use of floodplains and wetlands for ecosystem restoration and groundwater recharge
Complete scientific, economic and environmental review of alternative conveyance facilities recommended by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan

6. Invest in California's Water Infrastructure including water storage facilities

California desperately needs investment in its water infrastructure, but given the State's financial condition, we must ensure that investments are cost-effective and funded by the appropriate sources. The beneficiaries - or users - of water infrastructure projects should pay their share of the costs of those projects. The state should invest in infrastructure improvements providing benefits to the general public or the environment. The projects must be cost-effective and make long-term sense. As Governor, I will:

Support infrastructure investments, including water storage projects, that achieve the multiple goals of increasing water supply reliability, protecting the environment and other public benefits, such as wetlands protection and restoration, and flood protection

Support conveyance and storage investments, such as a peripheral canal or tunnel, that provide a net benefit in ecosystem and water quality conditions and where the beneficiaries pay for the benefits they receive

7. Incorporate Climate Change into All Aspects of Water Planning and Management

Climate change will exacerbate all of the challenges water already faces in California. The Department of Water Resources projects that the snowpack will decline by 25-40% by 2050, reducing water storage and the water supply for millions of Californians. As snowstorms become rainstorms, the danger of flooding will increase. Higher temperatures and stronger winds will increase demand. Rising sea level will result in increased seawater intrusion threatening groundwater supplies. Both floods and droughts are likely to be more severe and erosion is likely to accelerate. Higher river flows may threaten the safety of some of our more than 1000 dams.

Integrating climate change into California's water planning and management is critical to accurately forecasting water needs and supplies and protecting increasingly threatened infrastructure and natural resources. As Governor, I will:

Further develop and implement the California Climate Adaptation Strategy to protect water supply, agriculture and sensitive ecosystems

Focus resources on protection and restoration of wetlands and riparian habitat that protect water quality and provide buffers against flooding and sea level rise

Develop water management plans that address the shrinking snow pack and growing frequency of droughts