This well-written piece accurately portrays the problems and solutions facing California’s beleaguered Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (HCN, 8/20/12, ‘Tunneling under California’s water wars‘). Current operations in the Delta have failed to provide water to family farmers and 25 million Californians, and failed to protect the region’s ecosystem. Doing nothing to improve this situation means more of the same. The governor’s proposal to construct two tunnels and shift the water intakes to the North Delta offers several benefits: The new intakes would be equipped with modern screens to prevent threatened and endangered fish from entering the system and separate water designated for farms and people from the water flowing through the Delta. The result would be a reliable water supply for those who depend on it and an improved Delta ecosystem. The governor’s proposal demonstrates the leadership that is needed to secure California’s water future. The continued involvement of public water agencies, state and federal regulators, and environmentalists is an indication that a positive outcome for both water users and the environment is still likely.
Mike Wade
Executive Director, California Farm Water Coalition
Sacramento, California
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline A way out of California’s water morass?.
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