Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3812 May 24- June 7 2019 | Page 23

May 24 - June 7, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 12
T
Newsom Pulls Delta Tunnels
Permits, Takes Steps for One
Tunnel Planning Process
he Newsom administration on
project, and work with Delta communi-
May 2 shelved the plan to build
ties and other stakeholders to limit local
twin Delta Tunnels — and announced
impacts of the project.”
it will start a renewed environmental
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive
review for a single Delta Tunnel.
director of Restore the Delta, praised
As the Delta smelt moves closer and
DWR’s withdrawal of the application for
closer to extinction in the wild, the
the twin tunnels project.
Department of Water Resources (DWR)
“We are extremely pleased that the
reported that it is “taking formal steps”
Department of Water Resources has
to withdraw proposed permits for the
withdrawn its application for the twin
WaterFix project and begin a renewed
tunnels project,” she said. “We are
environmental review and planning
relieved that our coalition’s critique
process for “a smaller, single tunnel
of CA WaterFix made before the State
project that will protect a critical source Water Resources Control Board was
of water supplies for California.”
taken seriously. We support a portfolio
Thus, this announcement marks the
approach to solving California’s water
end of the twin tunnels project that
challenges.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger began in
“We will collaborate and participate
2007, itself a revival of the peripheral
in as many processes as possible, and
canal plan that the voters overwhelm-
we will support other communities in
ingly rejected in the November 1982
California working on regional water
election. After beginning his third term
solutions. Naturally, as Delta people
as Governor, Jerry Brown continued to
we don’t care for tunnels, but we look
pursue the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, forward to engaging in an honest and
as it was called, until it was renamed the transparent public process that helps
California WaterFix in 2015.
move us towards the co-equal goals of
“Today’s actions implement Governor the Delta Reform Act of 2009, including
Gavin Newsom’s direction earlier this
reducing reliance on the Delta,” Barrig-
year to modernize the state’s water
an-Parrilla stated.
delivery infrastructure by pursuing a
She listed a sample of some of the
smaller, single tunnel project through
questions Restore the Delta will be
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,”
asking as further details about the new
according to a statement from DWR.
tunnel plan become public:
“The project is needed to protect
1. Will water quality for the Delta
water supplies from sea-level rise
be protected for all beneficial uses
and saltwater intrusion into the Delta,
(swimmable, drinkable, fishable,
as well as earthquake risk. It will be
farmable)?
designed to protect water supply reli-
2. Will impacts for residents be
ability while limiting impacts on local
reduced and will legacy towns be
Delta communities and fish.”
protected?
However, Newsom continues to
3. Will fisheries be restored, including
support one smaller Delta Tunnel that is meeting the doubling goals for salmon?
based on the same controversial concept
4. Will Delta environmental justice
of diverting water from the Sacramento
communities in Stockton and Antioch be
River under the Delta to fulfill the
protected from degraded water quality,
“coequal goals” of ecosystem resto-
and construction emissions?
ration” and “water supply reliability.”
5. Is there enough water available to
“A smaller project, coordinated with
justify paying for a tunnel, especially
a wide variety of actions to strengthen
during times of extended drought? And
existing levee protections, protect
if so, will exported water first be used to
Delta water quality, recharge depleted
improve drinking water quality for the
groundwater reserves, and strengthen
1 million Californians in need of safe
local water supplies across the state,
drinking water.
will build California’s water supply
John McManus, President of the
resilience,” claimed Natural Resources
Golden Gate Salmon Association
Secretary Wade Crowfoot.
(GGSA), also praised the Newsom
DWR Director Karla Nemeth took
Administration for withdrawing the twin
action to rescind an array of permitting
tunnels permit application:
applications for the WaterFix project,
“We are grateful to Governor Newsom
including those in
front of the State
Water Resources
Control Board, Cali-
fornia Department
*Trolling
of Fish and Wildlife,
Motors
and federal agencies
*Fishfinders
responsible for
*GPS
compliance with the
*VHF
Endangered Species
Radios
Act.
*Radar
DWR said it will
*Batteries
“work with local
and
public water agencies
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and his team for the steps taken today.
As a result, we’re more hopeful for the
future of the salmon runs we rely on to
feed our families and keep our commu-
nities whole. We’re more hopeful that
California’s incredible salmon runs,
natural resources, and environment
might have a better chance to heal.”
“GGSA was party to a lawsuit chal-
lenging the twin tunnels and that suit
may have played into the governor’s
decision to call for a reset. Salmon
fishermen and women look forward
to working with the governor’s team
on ways forward that share the state’s
precious water in ways that work better
for everyone,” McManus stated.
The water contractors that have been
pushing for the construction of the Delta
Tunnels also “declared victory” with
DWR’s announcement.
“We are pleased that Gov. Newsom’s
Administration has reaffirmed a strong
commitment to modernize the state’s
water delivery infrastructure with a
single-tunnel project in the Delta,” said
Jeff Kightlinger, General Manager of
the Metropolitan Water District (MWD).
“We will work with the administration
to expeditiously advance a project that is
long overdue to both meet the water reli-
ability needs of the state and minimize
impacts to the communities and ecology
of the Delta.”
Deirdre Des Jardins of California
Water Research, in response to DWR’s
announcement, commented, “Normally
petitions for Change in Point of
Diversion go through a protest reso-
lution phase, which can take years. At
the request of the Department of Water
Resources, the protest resolution phase
for the WaterFix Change Petition was
skipped and a hearing was scheduled.”
“During the hearing, the project was
changed repeatedly to address protests
to the Change Petition, including the
signing of a new Coordinated Operating
Agreement in December of 2018. The
withdrawal of the WaterFix project
approval is just the latest effort to
resolve protests to the project. The
project should never have gone to a
hearing,” she concluded.
Many Delta leaders, fishermen, Tribal
leaders, conservationists and environ-
mental justice advocates are opposed to
the very concept of the Delta Tunnels,
whether one or two, since the plan is
based on the concept that taking more
water out of the Sacramento River
before it reaches the Delta will “restore”
the ecosystem, even though there is
no case in world or U.S. history where
diverting more water out of a river or
estuary has resulted in the restoration
of that river or estuary. For them, the
concept of a Delta Tunnel, canal or
similar conveyance is non-negotiable.
“The California Delta Chambers &
Visitor’s Bureau opposes diverting the
Sacramento River around the Delta,”
said Bill Wells, the Executive Director
of the California Delta Chambers &
Visitor’s Bureau., on February 12. “We
have never made a distinction over
the method of diversion, whether it be
canals, tunnels, or any other convey-
ance. Diverting the river will destroy
what is left of the Delta. The water
barons in the south will want as much
water as they can get out of the system
and they will not finance it unless they
are assured of this. We do not trust
them!”
On April 29, Governor Gavin Newsom
issued an executive order directing state
agencies to “prepare a water resilience
portfolio” for California.
“California’s water challenges are
daunting, from severely depleted
groundwater basins to vulnerable infra-
structure to unsafe drinking water in far
too many communities. Climate change
magnifies the risks,” said Governor
Newsom. “To meet these challenges,
we need to harness the best in science,
engineering and innovation to prepare
for what’s ahead and ensure long-term
water resilience and ecosystem health.
We’ll need an all-of-above approach to
get there.”
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