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<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Cal-Fed bill does not ease all water concerns</span></font></b></strong><b><font
size=4 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:
bold'><br>
<strong><b><font face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma'>Capital Press -
11/5/04</span></font></b></strong><br>
<strong><b><font face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma'>By Chip Power,
staff writer</span></font></b></strong></span></font></b><font size=4><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:13.5pt'>FRESNO</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font
size=4><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> - A massive cash infusion to help the
ailing San Francisco Bay Delta has not created Walden Pond-like ripples of ease
and well-being.<br>
<br>
The delta provides irrigation water for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
one of the most intensively farmed agricultural regions, and is the source of
drinking water for more than 20 million Californians in addition to providing
an ecosystem for salmon.<br>
<br>
The Cal-Fed bill includes $90 million for pre-authorized levees and levee
stability projects; more than $180 million for pre-authorized water quality
improvement projects throughout <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>,
including drinking water; and $90 million for fish and wildlife enhancements.<br>
<br>
Signed into law late last month, it also establishes a "trigger"
mechanism for the implementation of storage projects. Once a project
feasibility study is completed, Congress must authorize the project. If it does
not, the secretary of the Interior Department must declare an
"imbalance" in the Cal-Fed program and prescribe what must be done to
restore balance.<br>
<br>
"By moving from an endless state of planning and paralysis by analysis
into the stages of implementation, this law will finally deliver the resources
we need for our economy and our environment," said House Resources
Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo, R-Tracy.<br>
<br>
"We will enhance Delta water quality, improve delivery and secure future
supplies of water — the lifeblood of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>’s agricultural
economy," he said.<br>
<br>
Cal-Fed will help fuel <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>’s
economy, according to the California Farm Water Coalition. The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Golden</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>’s
agricultural exports are valued at nearly $7 billion. Each $1 billion in
agricultural exports creates 27,000 jobs, the trade group estimates.<br>
<br>
The coalition also broadly supports the addition of new reservoir capacity to
serve urban and agricultural users.<br>
<br>
Environmental groups are wasting no time restating their opposition to new
dams, at least ones whose costs would be borne by taxpayers and not
beneficiaries.<br>
The National Resources Defense Council, often at odds over farm water groups
over the consequences of irrigation projects, last week said it wanted to undo
certain agreements between regulators and water users, complaining that they
were "back room deals" not debated in the sunshine.<br>
<br>
The council stated that some changes outlined in an obscure state-federal
document called the Operations Criteria and Plan foreshadow big changes in how
water is pumped and allocated as part of the Cal-Fed system.<br>
<br>
Under the plan, according to the San Francisco-based group, water contractors
would increase pumping from the delta by 27 percent, sending more to Southern
California and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">San Joaquin</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. Less water would
flow to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> and less would be
reserved for endangered salmon during droughts. <br>
<br>
Meantime, nearly all of the Central Valley Project water contracts have
expired. The federal Bureau of Reclamation has said they are being renewed
legally and with public input. Critics contend that the Bureau of Reclamation
is proposing to renew the water contracts without needed reforms, which weakens
the effectiveness of Cal-Fed.<br>
<br>
Historically, ag-related groups have complained that Cal-Fed has an inherent
bias against industry in favor of the environment. Agriculture’s
detractors argue the opposite — that irrigators get their way without any
regard for long-term environmental consequences<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Consultant, California Trout, Inc.</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810 ce</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><em><i><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style='text-decoration:none'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></font></i></em></a><em><i><font
face="Times New Roman"> (secondary)</font></i></em><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'><a href="http://www.caltrout.org">http://www.caltrout.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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