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<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 color=black
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;
font-weight:bold'>Dam proposal could come soon; Temperance Flat one of top picks
for state's plan<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><b><font size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Fresno</span></font></b></st1:City></st1:place><b><font
size=4 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:black;font-weight:bold'> Bee – 12/23/06<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><font size=4 color=black
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;
font-weight:bold'>By E.J. Schultz, staff writer</span></font></b><font size=4
color=black><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on"><font size=4 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>SACRAMENTO</span></font></st1:City></st1:place><font
size=4 color=black><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'> — Get
ready for another round of water wars. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Gov.
Schwarzenegger's administration is preparing a proposal — to be released
as soon as January — that would use state money to pay for a new dam,
perhaps one near Friant Dam in Fresno County, an administration official said
Friday. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>"The
governor will lay out a package [for] additional ground-water storage but also
specifically to pursue surface storage," Lester Snow, director of the
state Department of Water Resources, said in an interview. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>But there's
no indication that Democrats, whose support would be needed to push the plan
through the Legislature, will budge on their long-held opposition to using
public money for dams. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>"Democrats
need to be convinced there's a realistic plan and need, and that the
environment is protected," Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Assembly Speaker
Fabián Núñez, said in an e-mail Friday. "We haven't seen that yet." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Details are
still being finalized, but the governor's proposal could split water-storage
costs between the state and local users, Snow said. The state would pay for the
"public benefit" portion of a new dam — for flood control or to
store cold water for salmon fisheries, for instance. The dam would also be used
for water supply, and local agencies would pay that portion, Snow said. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Global
warming, he said, is increasing the need for storage. As mountain snow melts
more quickly, more capacity is needed to deal with the earlier runoff, he said.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>The state's
top two choices for a dam are Temperance Flat, which is upstream of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Millerton</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType>
near Friant Dam, and a site in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Colusa</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, Snow said. It's
estimated that a dam at Temperance would cost about $2 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>If approved
by lawmakers, the state portion could be paid with a bond, which could go on
the ballot as soon as 2008. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>But that's a
big if. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Water storage
efforts didn't get very far in the last legislative session, despite heavy
lobbying by Valley lawmakers and the agricultural industry. Environmentalists
still say that more studies are needed to see if dams are worth the public
investment. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>"Our
position is a simple one," said Barry Nelson, a senior analyst with the
national Natural Resources Defense Council. "Finish the studies and let's
see if any of these projects are feasible." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Nelson said
that above-ground storage at Temperance Flat would not be used during many
average or below-average rainfall years, making it a waste. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>But Schwarzenegger
appears ready to make a push for dam money to be included in future public
works bonds. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>"Even
though I want more infrastructure and to have more bonds approved, it would
never happen unless above-the-ground water storage is part of this package,"
Schwarzenegger said during a Dec. 6 address to the California Farm Bureau
Federation's annual meeting, according to a farm bureau statement. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>But with the
state's budget already stretched thin, money could get tight. The governor has
already proposed a $10.9 billion prison and jail expansion plan. And his top
priority, along with Democratic lawmakers, is reducing the number of medically
uninsured residents in the state, which could bring billions more in costs. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>For
Democrats, Maviglio said: "It's safe to say that dam-building will
continue to take a back seat to education, health care and public safety."</span></font><o:p></o:p></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=2 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=2 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place>, Chair</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=2 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>California Trout,Inc., Advisor</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address
style="BACKGROUND-POSITION: left bottom; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(res://ietag.dll/#34/#1001); BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-x"
tabIndex="0" w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font size=2 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
size=2 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
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=2 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font size=2
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;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=2 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=2 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=2 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'><a
href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"><em><i><font face="Times New Roman">bwl3@comcast.net</font></i></em></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=2 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><em><i><font face="Times New Roman">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</font></i></em></a></span></font></i><em><i><font
size=2 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:blue'> </span></font></i></em><em><i><font size=2 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:gray'>(secondary)</span></font></i></em><i><font
size=2 color=blue><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=2 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>http://</span></font></u></i></em><i><font
size=2 color=blue><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'><a
href="http://www.fotr.org"><em><i><font face="Times New Roman">www.fotr.org</font></i></em></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=2 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue'>http://</span></font></u></i></em><i><font
size=2 color=blue><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'><a
href="http://www.caltrout.org"><em><i><font face="Times New Roman">www.caltrout.org</font></i></em></a></span></font></i><i><font
size=2 color=blue face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue;font-style:italic'> </span></font></i><i><font size=2 color=blue><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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