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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Water
negotiations moving ahead in Capitol</span></b><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Capitol
Weekly-8/31/09<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>By John
Howard <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Negotiations over a
massive overhaul of California's water system picked up steam Monday in the
Capitol amid an array of meetings that included a closed-door briefing for
lawmakers by the Schwarzenegger administration's top water officials. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The final proposal,
an historic attempt to achieve a compromise in the state's seemingly endless
water wars, is intended to be completed by the end of this week, with floor
votes next week, said sources in both houses and participants in the discussions.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>They face a ticking clock:
The Legislature adjourns for the year on Sept. 11. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ultimately, the plan is
envisioned as providing environmental protections to the delta east of San
Francisco, a canal through or around the delta to move more Northern California
water to the south, new storage structures, perhaps even reservoirs, and major
conservation programs. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Environmentalists are
opposed to the reservoirs, but the Schwarzenegger administration and the
construction industry view them favorably. Fishing interests and delta
partisans oppose any plan that does not contain ironclad environmental
protections for the delta, and environmentalists support conservation programs.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Southern California water
interests, Central Valley farmers and hundreds of public water agencies tend to
favor construction of the capital projects. There has been limited
environmental support for the canal, but strong support for conservation. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Legislature's Latino
Caucus favors a water system overhaul that includes a canal and new
construction - adding a new political dimension to the negotiations. The active
participation of the Latino Caucus is a departure from earlier years. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Agreement on financing for
the programs remains elusive. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>There may be a
multibillion-dollar bond package requiring voter approval, a mechanism called
"continuous appropriation" in which money automatically is directed
to the water system year-by-year and a system in which big customers - the
water and irrigation districts - are charged fees on a sliding scale. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The dollars involved are
huge: Estimates vary wildly, but a canal alone could cost $5 billion to $10
billion, or more, and reservoirs carry similar price tags. Last year,
California voters rejected nearly $10 billion in water bonds. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>A poll released by EMC
Research showed nearly half of those surveyed opposed bonds for new reservoirs,
and perhaps a third voice opposition to the construction of a canal. The survey
was conducted by telephone Aug. 23-27 of 800 people. The margin of error is
plus or minus 3.45 percent. The poll was commissioned by Restore the
Delta, an environmental group. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>A sticking point in the
water discussions is the creation of a two-house conference committee to write
the legislation. Sources in both houses said the committee likely will be
composed of 10 or 12 members, instead of the usual six members, three from each
house. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The names of the committee
members have not been announced, although they are expected to include Assembly
members Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield; Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael; and Anna
Caballero, D-Salinas. On the Senate side, the members may include Democratic
Sens. Gil Cedillo or Alex Padilla of Los Angeles, and Fran Pavley of Agoura
Hills.<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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