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<h1><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Chico Enterprise Record<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pointed views on water
transfers aired<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>By
HEATHER HACKING - Staff Writer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Posted: 01/22/2009
12:00:00 AM PST<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>CHICO
— Speakers at a recent Chico meeting sponsored by the Butte-Sutter Basin
Area Groundwater Users said the north state should pay attention to ensure that
water is not "stolen" for use in other parts of the state. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A guest
at the meeting was Tom Stokely, of the California Water Impact Network. Stokely
previously worked for the Trinity County Planning Department for 23 years,
"mostly to restore water taken from us," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Stokely shared
his views of water projects in Trinity County in the 1960s that he said
resulted in water "stolen" from that waterway for use by San Joaquin
Valley farmers in the Westlands Water District. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"I
think they're looking in your direction," Stokely said of the Sacramento
Valley. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>He
predicted water managers would "break every promise as they did with
us" in the Trinity River watershed. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Westlands
is an example of what not to do, Stokely said. The 600,000 acres of farmland
west of Fresno is an old ocean bed that receives less than 10 inches a year of
rain, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
region has problems with salinity, which requires more water to leach out
salts. Also, the land has subsided 20-30 feet in areas, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Northern
California currently has sustainable agriculture, Stokely said, so it doesn't
make sense to export water from here to other areas. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"I
strongly encourage you folks to stand up for your groundwater," Stokely
said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>He
referred people to an e-book at the Friends of Trinity River Web site, <span
class=MsoHyperlink>www.fotr.org</span>, titled "How the Trinity Lost its
Water."<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
discussion comes as the state Department of Water Resources is exploring
"conjunctive water use," which is management of water that combines surface
water and groundwater sources. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Attorney
Michael Jackson, who has been involved with numerous environmental lawsuits and
works closely with the Butte Environmental Council, reinforced the views
expressed by Stokely. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"There
are very seldom situations where conjunctive use is good for the place that is
the source of water," Jackson said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>"You
may find you have more allies in urban areas than you do here," Jackson
said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Locally,
he pointed to the Butte Environmental Council as a player in the water issues.
BEC has filed lawsuits in the past, and will in the future, to challenge water
projects on the basis of the environment and environmental review. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>As for
Sacramento Valley districts interested in selling surface water and pumping
groundwater, Jackson said "if they have (surface) water they don't need,
it should be taken from them." <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>He said
that people who don't have access to surface water but rely only on
groundwater, don't have the ability to "double dip." <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>A few
people in the audience recommended people see the documentary "Flow"
— <span class=MsoHyperlink>www.flowtheflim.com</span> — about the
world water crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In Butte
County, voters passed a law that requires the county to approve any transfer of
groundwater out of the county as well as transfer of surface water and
subsequent use of surface water. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For
upcoming 2009 Drought Water Bank transfers, there is not enough time for any
agency in Butte County thinking of using groundwater to get through the
necessary government approval, county leaders have said. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Speaker
Bob Hennigan noted that only applies to Butte County, and other counties share
and can tap into underground water sources. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker, JcT</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends
of Trinity River</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>PO Box 2327</span></i><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Mill Valley, CA
94942-2327</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810
land</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810
cell</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"><span style='color:blue'>bwl3@comcast.net</span></a></span></i></b><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><span style='color:blue'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>(secondary)</span></i><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="http://fotr.org/"><span style='color:blue'>http://www.fotr.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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