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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=6>Bay-Delta water program thirsts for real power<BR></FONT></STRONG>
<P><A
href="http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/022004/news/articles/022004-e-2.php">http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/022004/news/articles/022004-e-2.php</A><BR><BR><FONT
size=2>Published Friday, February 20, 2004</FONT>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Like a cascading
waterfall, California's water problems continue to tumble. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">After four years of trying to bring
peace, the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, designed to solve many of the state's
disputes, is at a turning point. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Will it be the conduit for
solutions or the cause of collapse? </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It was hard to tell Tuesday during
a state Senate Agriculture and Water Committee hearing, where CALFED's
effectiveness was challenged. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fractious and suspicious water
interests have wondered since CALFED's founding if the agency's members would
have the authority, courage, mandate or independence to solve deep-seated,
long-standing conflicts. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What progress has been made is
threatened. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">State and federal funding problems
came first, then the bickering and return of mistrust. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Last year, frustrated participants,
insisting more water from the Delta was their promise, met secretly and devised
the so-called Napa Plan. It would suck more water through the giant
state-operated pumps near Tracy to midstate agricultural interests and Southern
California urban users. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Delta representatives weren't
invited to the meetings. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Now come the legislative oversight
groups such as state Sen. Michael Machado's agriculture and water panel.
Machado, D-Linden, listened while charges and claims volleyed back and
forth:<BR>* Farm users south of San Joaquin County said the plan is necessary to
"move forward with CALFED." Without it, competing interests will return to
litigation to solve their differences. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">* Delta defenders asked, "Is this
just another water grab?" </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">* CALFED Director Patrick Wright
admitted this is a "litmus test by which to judge the effectiveness of the
program." </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unless stronger leadership exerts
itself, this could be the beginning of the end for the program. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If renegade groups with narrowly
defined interests are able to make decisions independent of CALFED, the agency
will lose credibility fast. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The program needs funds, authority
and objectivity. It no longer can operate merely as a forum for competing
interests. </FONT>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It must be able to drive decision
making, exercise judgment and regulate with authority. </FONT>
<P>
<P>
<H3><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Our voice </FONT></H3>
<HR noShade SIZE=1>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">* The CALFED agency must be able to
regulate with authority.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>