www.NoDeltaGates.com
for current news and information.
[Disclaimer: This page is for friends of the Duck Pond and contains Jan's current opinions and findings gathered since August 2009.] The California Delta is in crisis: The demand for water is higher than the supply. The Government has expedited 5 Water Bills (voted on at 3 AM Nov. 4, 2009) to "fix" the problem. While the state's current direction MAY provide additional water to farmers short-term, long-term it WILL cause:
- Damage to the environment
- Significant negative impact to the Delta communities
- Long-term negative effects on the entire state's economy
This page is a CALL TO ACTION for all Californians to push the state to re-think the current single-focused direction. The Peripheral Canal is a solution to the wrong problem. The problems we need to address are how restore the Delta ecosystem and protect the aquifers, reduce the demand for water and improve and regionalize the water supply. But a change in direction won't happen without citizen involvement.
What can WE do?
- Vote AGAINST the Water Bond Bill in November 2010
- Contact your legislators and let them know your concerns
- Become informed about the water issue - read, attend events
- DONATE to the STCDA - a grass roots organization that has already made a difference !
- Science panel's review of California water woes prompts fight.
The Sacramento Bee, Jan 21, 2010. - Piepho: Fight goes on in water war. Discovery Bay Press, Jan 21, 2010.
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The Problem
California's Water Issues are broad and complex. The last few years of drought have brought reduced snowfall resulting in less water flowing into the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers that ultimately empty into the San Francisco Bay.The Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta is the largest fresh water estuary in the Western hemisphere, home to fish, waterfowl, and other species. After the gold rush, a series of levees were built, reclaiming much of the rich, fertile delta for farmland. The levees also created navigable waterways enjoyed by tens of thousands of Northern California boaters and fisherman. And many, like me, who found the Delta a beautiful, scenic, recreational area moved to communities on the Delta to enjoy life here.
Meanwhile, many water districts state-wide have been extracting fresh water from the Delta for their communities' drinking water and agriculture. Large pumps near Tracy California extract significant amounts of water into the California Aqueduct to route southward.
If we look at the water picture holistically, it seems clear the steps needed to solve the state's water crisis without causing environmental impact, without negatively impacting the state's economy, and without negatively impacting the Delta communities includes changes in our approach to agriculture to take the price of water into consideration (see Farming in the California below) plus water conservation and ground water management. Unfortunately, this is not the path the State is currently on.
For additional historical background/information see State Water History below.
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What's the "Right" Answer
The right answer is to provide long-term protection for California's natural resources, improve regional self-sufficiency, while reducing the need for water without impacting the economy. This can be done by taking the following steps:- Enact strong laws to protect the state's resources:
- Protect and restore the Delta as an important natural freshwater estuary
- Only extract "excess" water from the Delta
- Realize the state's drought situation will continue or worsen
- Put a cost on water - it isn't free
- Protect the groundwater aquifers - if they collapse they aren't recoverable
- Increase regional self-sufficiency:
- Invest in projects like Tulare Lake Basin
- Build local reverse osmosis and/or desalinization systems
- Implement groundwater cleanup/re-use projects
- Reduce the demand:
- Analyze the true economic value of crops (which types, where)
- Stop farming where selenium is an issue
- Implement urban AND agricultural conservation
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The State's Current Projects and Plans
The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and the Peripheral Canal
The Governor has made it his mission to "solve" the water issues but unfortunately he and his "Delta Vision" commission are focused solely on how to take more water from the Delta rather than a comprehensive state water plan.The Bay Delta Conservation Plan organization was created. It sounds like an organization to help the Bay and Delta but it is being funded by the Metropolitan Water District and its function is to facilitate obtaining permits for a Peripheral Canal. After attending a 5-hour BDCP workshop September 22, 2009 on parts of Chapter 3 (of an 11 chapter document), I found that unfortunately it is not a "Conservation" plan and has a high probability it will destroy the Delta. The science presented was faulty, the conclusions suspect. And actions to repair the damage already done by years of excessive pumping is tied to obtaining permits to construct the Peripheral Canal. That is, although the last 10 years exports caused the damage, repair is prioritized after a plan to export even more water.
The Peripheral Canal projects include damming Middle River, removing access to Mildred Island anchorage, and restricting boating even more substantially than the 2 Gates. The 2 Gates are only the first of nine gates proposed by the BDCP, not as "Fish Protection" gates but rather as "Salinity" gates.
This means the BDCP plan includes allowing salt water to intrude far up into the fresh water estuary.
Worse, the Peripheral Canal is a solution to the wrong problem. See Farming in the California below.
More will be added to this section ...
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2 Gates "Fish Protection" Project
The 2 Gates "Fish Protection" Project proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations. (It was actually written by and paid for by the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California). The stated purpose was to "protect" the endangered Delta Smelt.But the real objective was just to keep the smelt from getting to the Tracy pumps where they were getting caught and thus appease the environmentalists. Hence to avoid future judge orders restricting pumping and, in fact, to enable increased exporting of water from the Delta.
But the smelt, like the salmon, steelhead trout, and other species that live in the Delta, are endangered because of many issues caused by excess water exports, not just because some are caught in the pumps themselves. The "2 Gates" might keep the smelt from migrating to the area where the pumps operate. But they would also keep the smelt from their spawning ground, trap them behind the gates where their predators would quickly decimate them, disrupt other species migratory habits, and cause other widespread issues throughout the Delta.
Plus, the “2 Gates” (which are basically dams) would severely impact recreational boating, impact safety rescue operations (coast guard, marine sheriffs – could cost lives), impact local economies, and negatively affect the fish and wildlife. The list of concerns and issues with installing gates in primary navigation waterways is long and significant. In addition, the gates would isolate Discovery Bay by periodically closing off the only unbridged waterway from that town to the rest of the Delta thus could easily end up impacting home values as well as boating safety.
Thanks to the new grassroots organization, the Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA) - www.noDeltaGates.com, Discovery Bay and nearby communities were mobilized, attending meetings, sending comments to the US Bureau of Reclamations (responsible for the project) and to their representatives at state and U.S. levels.
And they were heard! They met with Congressman Jerry McNerney (a meeting organized by County Supervisor Mary Piepho). And the Obama Administration currently has put the project on-hold.
Related Information:
- 2 Gates Project Overview
- Map showing restricted boating access throughout the Southern Delta.
- CalFed paper questioning the Science behind the 2 Gates Project
- Dec 21 Meeting with Congressman McNerney - Talking Points
- Press Release Dec 21, 2009 - Meeting with Congressman McNerney
- Press Release Dec 22, 2009 - Obama Administration Releases Plan for CA
- Obama Administration Plan: "Federal Plan for California"
- What the Obama Administration Delta plan means - Mike Taugher Contra Costa Times Dec 22, 2009
- Comments on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 2 Gates Project DRAFT FONSI(Finding of No Significant Impact):
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Issues in the State
Farming in California
Eighty percent of the available water in the state goes to agriculture. California produces 21% of the milk, 23% of the cheese, 92% of the grapes for the entire US. Obviously farming is an important economy for the state. But is all of the water used being put to optimum use? Water use for agriculture is 80% of the state’s water whereas agriculture (including indirect benefits – labor, etc.) contributes only 7% to the state’s economy in total. Intel alone brings more economic value to the state.Are all crops the "right" crops for California? Some experts are now raising the concern that 40% of the water farmers' use is for water-intensive crops such as cotton, rice, alfalfa, and irrigated pastures. Yet these crops only contribute ½ of 1% to the state’s economy. In addition, harvesting techniques for these crops are highly mechanized resulting in low employment. Growing cotton, rice, alfalfa and investing in ranching utilizes a significant amount of water and provide low returns to the economy. Is the right trade-off being made between these crops versus the value of water? Why do farmers grow these crops? Because the current incentive to farmers is to use water because it’s “free” and cotton, etc. are high margin crops. (High margin for the farmers but low value for the state).
The problem with Selenium. The west side of the San Joaquin valley is the worst place for farms. More than 900 acres there contain a large amount of a very bad chemical, selenium. When mixed with water (i.e., irrigation), it turns into soluble form which is very mobile and there’s no feasible way to remove it. Selenium doesn’t go away. In the 1980s, scientists at the Kesterson Wildlife Refuge discovered massive fish kills and tens of thousands of dead and deformed birds from a gradual buildup of selenium. The farms in that area drain into a large catch basin. It gets into the environment and can get into the food chain. And, like mercury, it isn’t broken down over time. It would be better for the state to idle those farms and pay the farmers than use the water and continue the selenium pollution.
The aquifers. Because of the last four years of drought and because farmers have planted orchards in land where their earlier agreement was only for seasonal crops, when the water exports are low, farmers begin pumping water from their local ground aquifers. This is causing a crisis. Read more about this crisis in the section on The California Aquifers below.
The Farm Bureau's Focus. Farm Bureau's focus is, of course, to aid the farmers and advertise that California crops are highly significant. It's interesting that the Farm Bureau statistics and numbers show that agriculture only uses 41% of the state’s water and shows that almost half, 48%, is for the “environment”. They blamed current water shortages from both the drought and "an artificial drought” caused by the judge’s order to stop pumping due to Delta Smelt endangerment rather than accepting both issues are due to a true drought.
Removing protections from the ESA. A key goal the Farm Bureau is to modify the environmental species act (ESA) to stop protection for endangered species in favor of additional water exports. Of course this would be a devastating move for the Northern California Estuary and all wildlife there.
Helping solve the real problem instead of inciting unnecessary fear. Recently when asked to respond to the idea that some farms should not be farmed (due to selenium) the retort is “Do you want to buy food from Mexico?” Instead of inciting fear and concerns about food availability, we need to encourage the Farm Bureau to help evaluate the cost/benefits of crops versus water consumption and issues with selenium and propose solutions that will benefit both the farmers and the state overall. It seems this approach would be the most significant part of a long-lasting solution.
The farmers deserve our support! The farmers who are growing valuable corps on fertile, rich farmlands definitely need water for their crops. They provide a great contribution to the economy and the US. It a small majority of farms, those irrigated by the Westlands Water District, growing water-intensive crops and using farmlands full of selenium and other chemicals that need to be evaluated for both their crop selection and land quality.
Bottom line As Dr. Lawrence Kolb, Former Water Quality Control Board Assistant Director has said: "The elephant in the bathtub is agricultural water use!" We need to stop farming the west side of I-5 and stop growing water-intensive crops that contribute little to the state's economy. That is an ideal way to reduce agricultural water needs without hurting farmers, the economy, or reducing real food production. The Peripheral Canal is a solution to the wrong problem.
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Environmental Issues
Section to be updated ... Stay tuned.Related Information:
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Boating Issues
The 2 Gates Project and other proposed plans of the Bay and Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) totally disregard any impact on recreational boating, commercial boat requirements, and the community’s boating safety. This is not only disappointing since it may cause inconvenience, it is extremely concerning because the communities here are based on boating. Impacts to boating affect our local economies, businesses and home values. Not to mention our safety and hence our lives. Yet moving water south seems to take higher precedence than the communities' safety and economy.Oddly, the inconvenience proposed would not be tolerated if it were affecting other sports or activities. Imagine if people in Sacramento were told they could not drive to Tahoe during the month of December to ski – Highway 80 would be closed for 20 hours/day. Or that there was a decision to shut down Tahoe ski resorts since skiers make the snow dirty hence drinking water needs more filtering. Or that campers couldn’t camp in Desolation Wilderness in June because of similar concerns. Of course any of those actions would be looked upon as ludicrous and would not be tolerated. But for some reason, when boaters face similar impacts, it isn’t thought of as a “real” concern. Or the issues are downplayed.
But the issues are serious, more than simple inconveniences. From the top level, design of the 2 Gates project would create a significant safety issue for boating.
- Due to lengthy delays between gate openings (two to ten hours), queues of boats, and their lack of maneuverability will create collision hazards. Single screw trawlers, house boats and sail boats all have high windage problems and must maintain a speed of at least 3 knots to maintain maneuverability.
- The water velocity, upon opening the gates, will significantly affect maneuverability of boats, increasing the potential for collision and capsizing, especially for the boats mentioned above.
- The design of the gate structure provides catwalks to the pivot point of the gates. When opened, water flowing through the non-navigable portion of the butterfly gate openings will suck disabled or slow water craft, or boaters not knowledgeable of the gate design under the catwalks, producing a significant safety hazard, including capsizing and / or decapitation.
- The channels – 75’ and 60’, respectively, are very narrow for large queues of boats and impatient boaters attempting to pass each other in opposite directions.
- The only alternative out of Discovery Bay is through the Bacon Island Bridge, which has limited hours and needs frequent repairs. This route adds three hours each way to our trawler type boat.
- Delays to emergency equipment – sheriff and Coast Guard rescues, levee repair barges, etc. have not been studied.
- The low profile Connection Slough gate could be confused with the close proximity Connection Slough Bridge and be missed by unsuspecting boaters who could then ram the gate.
- Boat trips often require traveling from Discovery Bay to distant areas in one day and hence require needing to leave early in the morning before the Bacon Island Bridge is open. Similarly boats returning often arrive after dark.
- A significant number of boats travel every weekend during the spring from Discovery Bay to anchor at Mildred Island, a favorite anchorage and the only large nearby anchorage. If boats anchored at Mildred Island need to return home to Discovery Bay, if the Bacon Island Bridge is broken (which occurs several times each season) or if the boater misses closing time, today they can take an alternative route via Connection Slough and down Old River. If Connection Slough Bridge is not open, then they are forced to go all the way up to the San Joaquin River Channel and down Old River, an extra 2-3 hour trip. But there "is" an alternative. If there is a dam on Connection Slough and another on Old River, there is no alternative route if the dams are closed. These boaters cannot “schedule” when they will arrive at the Old River gate. They are trying to return home and are underway. That trip would not get them to the Old River gate until 8 or 9 PM. A 2 to 2.5 hour wait at that point mean the boats would be out to midnight. Or if the operator deems it “after dark”, then it would be 2 AM (a 5 hour wait) before they get home.
- As shown above, boaters cannot schedule arrival times if the issue is they are underway and the Bacon Island Bridge is unexpectedly closed.
- The gate openings are dependent on the tides and will change regularly.
- The gates hours of operation will change based on feedback from the scientific experiments and potentially as salt water intrusion increases due to increased water exports. There is no commitment that hours of operation will not increase significantly over time.
- Could a single screw boat engines (sailboats, houseboats, trawlers) with a maximum speed of six knots safely navigate “upstream” through the gate without losing steerage? Or a disabled boat with engine trouble?
- When gates are opened for emergency vessels and there could be up to an 18 inch differential, isn’t that similar to a class 3 rapid? That seems like it would suck any waiting boats into the gates. And cause turbulence on the sides with boats waiting for haul-out. A risk small fishing boats and any children or animals swimming off the back of waiting boats on a hot day. Has this risk been analyzed?
- The sides of the butterfly gates (the non-passage areas where water will flow through) have catwalks which appear to be quite low clearance. What would happen if a ski boat or fishing boat were sucked into/under that area? Could boats be capsized or people decapitated? Could larger boats become stuck against the catwalk or capsize during high flow periods?
- There is a statement that dolphin fenders (steel piles) will be installed to keep commercial vessels from hitting the gates. Can there be protective fenders, less damaging, installed to protect the recreational vessels as well as the gates?
- And what happens if a boat gets on the wrong side of the dolphin fenders (between the sheet piles and catwalks away from the opening)? With the increased flow on that side by the catwalks, what is the risk that they cannot safely get back up to the passage, particularly boats with smaller engines?
- Boaters would be unable to navigate out of the local area which has no protected anchorages and would be too crowded for safety if all boats were restricted south of the bridge and Old River site.
- The unreliability of the bridge and uncertainty of boat passage for an entire boating year will significantly impact business, the marina (boats will go elsewhere, not launch in Discovery Bay, move their permanent berths) and boats that move or change their habits are likely to not return in future years. What is the anticipated economic loss to Discovery Bay during 2010?
- During construction timeframes, traversing the gate areas, when allowed, will pose some additional risk to boaters. Bacon Island Bridge needs to be operational 24x7 to avoid boater risk during construction plus steps taken to ensure safe passage through the construction site is possible whenever the bridge is closed.
Economic Impacts and Home values (not addressed by the USBR documents).
- Our waterfront homes are today a premium due to ready boating access and swimmable water in our back yards. What will be the impact due to the 2 Gates short-term and expanded water exports if the Gates project proves successful to our home values?
- Many homes here are 2nd homes for weekend boaters. How many will decide to trade for areas more conducive to weekend activities effecting the already impacted housing situation? Discovery Bay and Bethel Island businesses located on the water (restaurants, shops, marine supplies) will be impacted when outside boaters are impeded from easy access to these communities.
- What is the anticipated loss of revenue by Discovery Bay and Bethel Island from not being able to participate in the large Delta events (Poker runs, bass fishing competitions, etc.) due to construction and thereafter due to gate?
- New developments are being planned for the east side of Discovery Bay. What will be the impact of restricted boating access making the area less attractive on the land developers?
What would a good answer be? A plan that attempts to minimize the impact on boats, boaters and the related economy.
It struck me how differently other agencies (U.S. Coast Guard, Army Corp of Engineers) address impacts to boating. I read an article recently about the new Bethel Island Bridge being constructed. It will be necessary to have a temporary bridge from June to October 2010 while the new bridge is being constructed. The February 5, 2010 Discovery Bay Press reported that the U.S. Coast Guard plans that the draw-section will always be open on weekends and outside work hours from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. And, if having the section in place during work hours proves too disruptive to boaters, the bridge may usually be open and the draw-section only put in place when needed to get workers and equipment from one side of the trestle to the other. Otherwise it would be removed when workers see a boat coming.
How different the Coast Guard approach is versus the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations (USBR) 2 Gates project. The USBR plans were to only open the gate on Old River for 15 minutes every 2 ½ hours during March and June. They say boaters can just wait for the 2 ½ hours if they arrive when it is closed. The Connection Slough gate would basically be closed those months (closed for 20 hours). Other months the gates may be closed for an hour but boaters could wait. While the gates were being installed for four months (an ENTIRE summer), Old River and Connection Slough would be closed.
The USBR plan and approach for boats and boaters is 180 degrees different from the Coast Guard. For the USBR and Bay Delta Conservation Plan, navigation is unimportant.
It’s unfortunate when many people in the communities in the Delta live here for the recreational boating and when recreational and commercial boat navigation is key to the economy and house values. It’s unfortunate that the plans being made for the Delta aren't taking boating concerns/needs into account.
The Delta Protection Commission. The Delta Protection Act of 1992 provides for regional coordination by establishing the Delta Protection Commission. The Commission is to develop a long term resources management plan for the Delta Primary Zone. The goals of this regional plan are to “protect, maintain and, where possible, enhance and restore the overall quality of the delta environment.” (See the overview doc at Click Here). The first goal states: "The Delta is a popular area for water-based recreation such as fishing, sailing, and water-skiing. An objective of the regional plan for the Primary Zone is to maintain, and possibly enhance, recreational opportunity in the Delta."
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Delta Communities Issues
Section to be added ... Stay tuned.| [ Return to top ] |
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The California Aquifers
California's two main river basins and the aquifers beneath its agricultural heartland have lost nearly enough water since 2003 to fill Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir, new satellite data shows according to a Reuters report Dec. 14, 2009. (see also Water www.SisWeb.org page.) Depleted aquifers account for two-thirds of the loss measured, most of it attributed to increased groundwater pumping for irrigation of drought-parched farmland in California's fertile but arid Central Valley, scientists said. Satellite studies show that groundwater is being used up faster than nature can restore it.When aquifers are drained, there is the risk of the aquifer collapsing (which has happened recently in San Jose and in the Central Valley). The problem is, when aquifers collapse, there is no way to recover this valuable storage system.
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The Issue of the Aging Levees(?)
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Salt Water? Fresh Water?
Confusion reigns in the water wars. UC Davis "scientists" testified for the Fish & Game that the issue with declining fish population is that the water isn’t salty enough. Dr. Gregory Gartrell from the Contra Costa Water District and others have proof they were wrong. The Delta has been a freshwater marsh for the last 2500 years!| [ Return to top ] |
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Tracking Where we Are
State Water History
Many water districts have been extracting fresh water from the Delta for their communities' drinking water - for local counties (Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, and Costa Contra counties) and more remote areas of the state (Westlands Water District for Central California agribusiness and Metropolitan Water District for LA and other Southern California uses).Westlands and Metropolitan Water Districts were given contracts to allow them to extract the "EXCESS" water from the Delta - water beyond that which was needed to maintain the health of the estuary. Spring run-off water and other excess. Large pumps near Tracy California extract significant amounts of water into the California Aqueduct to route southward. The need for water in central California has expanded over the years as agribusiness has extended turning previously arid land into profitable farms. But the problem is no one knows what "excess" is. How much is too much?
Not all of the water is well-used. Unfortunately, many farmers have been selecting high-water, high margin crops such as rice, cotton, and orchards. Other farmers have found it more advantageous to let their farms go fallow and resell their water allotments to developers wanting to expand communities in Southern California and the Mojave desert (one farm family made $77 million in one year alone by reselling their water rights!) For too many, the Delta has been a plumbing fixture and water has been cheap.
As water export amounts increased in the early 2000s, although warnings came from environmentalists about the adverse effects on the Delta wildlife and ecology, pumping increased and the ecology collapsed. Coupled with the drought, the salmon have been decimated (resulting in a ban on Commercial salmon fishing off the coasts of California and Oregon for the past two years). The ecosystem is collapsing, fish species are in danger. The water is polluted and salt levels are increasing. Delta farmers are faced with using salty water containing a high percent of chemicals (selenium, boron, arsenic) from the run-off from Central California farmlands. The pull of the pumping has reversed the natural flow of the Delta coupled with the high salt content from Central Valley farm run-off has been confusing salmon and other fish trying to migrate back to the ocean. That plus the smaller species such as the Delta Smelt getting caught in the pumping stations caused an environmental emergency resulting in a judge order to stop the Tracy pumps for a few months last year. The restricted pumping and natural drought caused concern about how to continue to meet the need for fresh water.
Meanwhile additional pumping facilities come on-line. A new East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) intake facility recently began operations near Freeport. That facility came about after about 20 years of lawsuits challenging EBMUD's water rights on the American River. The court's compromise required EBMUD to take water off of the Sacramento River instead. Much of our water policy in California happens through the courts, unfortunately.
The Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) has water rights through the Central Valley Project, that are different that EBMUD's (EBMUD takes water through the State Water Project). CCWD's water supply is in pretty good shape, because they have the Los Vaqueros Reservoir. When CCWD first built the reservoir and again more recently, CCWD has been asking other water agencies if they wanted to become partners in Los Vaqueros. Most of the water agencies in the area (Alameda County, Zone 7 (also in Alameda County) and the Santa Clara Valley Water District) have chosen a peripheral canal instead of using Los Vaqueros, unfortunately.
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Tulare Lake Basin
This is an interesting proposal that has the potential to really improve the state water situation with \ much less environmental impact. This is a proposal by the San Joaquin Valley Leadership Forum that supports safe, clean, reliable drinking water supplies.Tulare Lake Basin - Surface/Groundwater Storage for Water Quality, Quantity, and Reliability.
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Current Legislative Actions and Issues
The five current Water Bills were passed at 3 AM Nov 3, 2009. The processes used during the passage of the bills was “draconian”. Legislators opposed to the bills were limited to speaking only 1 minute each. Sacramento was a nocturnal town – with closed door negotiations and 3 AM votes. The resulting Bills are weak and full of loopholes. For example, while there IS “flow criteria”, there is no resulting limit on exports. A lot of “special deals” added to the bills and the bills add new layers bureaucracy. There is now a spider web of organizations involved in Delta projects. In the center is “The Delta Plan” (whatever that is). Four of the 7 members of the new Delta council are appointed by the Governor.Of particular concern is the Bond Package which grew during the night of November 3rd from $8B to $11B. That’s $800 million per year for the next 30 years which will come off the top of the State General Fund– ahead of education, transportation, and other at-risk areas.
Also of concern is that there is no legislative oversight of the BDCP/Peripheral Canal. Rules make it a “conflict of interest” if a legislator sits on the BDCP steering committee and members of the Steering committee need to agree ahead-of-time to support the results of the BDCP. PRIOR to knowing what the results will be. These rules exclude the ability for true legislative oversight.
There have been significant efforts by Contra Costa Supervisor Mary Piepho and the other supervisors from the five Delta counties who have joined together in the effort to create a larger entity with a stronger voice to be heard regarding Water Bills and impacts on the Delta. In general the Delta Counties have been “shut out” of the process. The current Bills exclude the “Delta as a Place” as the 3rd leg of the stool – focusing instead only on the two co-equal goals of water export and the endangered species. That leaves the people out of the process. The current legislative process has resulted in the loss of land use protection. The 5 Delta County effort is to put “Delta as a Place” back into the process. To maintain the health of the Delta and accessibility and to consider the economic and other impacts. And to bring the legislative process into the open. We need to insist on no more 3 AM votes!
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Events
On January 23 in Antioch, the League of Women Voters sponsored a panel on "Our Delta Water". The room was overflowing with interested, concerned citizens. Legislative representatives including US Congressman Jerry McNerney and State Senator Lois Wolk attended. Congressman McNerney gave opening remarks repeating his commitment to the Delta as a resource and to the Delta Communities. Panelists were- Dr. Gregory Gartrell, Assistant Manager of the Contra Costa Water District
- Dr. Lawrence Kolb, former Water Quality Control Board Assistant Director
- Susanna Schlendorf, 15th Assembly District Director for Joan Buchanan
- Kari Fisher, Counsel for the Farm Bureau
- Mary N. Piepho, Contra Costa County Supervisor
- Karla Nemeth, Resources Agency Liaison to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP)
- David Nesmith of the Environmental Water Caucus
Click here to see the questions/answers for the panel on the LWV website. These are G R E A T questions that hopefully the Delta communities will get answers to from the people pushing for water legislation and removal of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) provisions.
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Activities and Milestones By Month
- Apr. 1, 2010 - The West Coast Salmon Summit hosted by Congressmen George Miller and Mike Thompson.
- Apr. 1, 2010 - The seating of the Delta Stewardship Council occurred. It "happened" to coincide with the West Coast Salmon Summit which contributed to a glaring absence of Delta supporters at the historic seating of the Stewardship Council. The absence of Delta support in the room was noted by one of the public commentators.
- Apr. 11, 2010 - Assemblymember Fuller introduces AB 2336 to terminate the management and protection of the public's striped bass fishery that inhabits the Bay-Delta estuary.
- Apr. 13, 2010 - California Sportsfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and supporters meet at the capital to protest Bill AB2336.
- Apr. 14, 2010 - Assemblymember Alyson Huber reintroduces a bill, AB 1594, that would prohibit construction of a peripheral canal around the Delta without a full fiscal analysis and a vote of the legislature.
- Mar. 1, 2010 - STCDA Town Hall Meeting. Guest speakers include Mary Peipho (CC Supervisor), Susanna Schlendorf (District Director for Assemblymember Joah Buchanan), David Nesmeth (Environmental Water Caucus) and Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla (RestoreTheDelta.org). Name change from Save the San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation (SFBDF) to Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA) announced.
- Mar. 29, 2010 - Jan McCleery named Exec. Director of the STCDA (replacing Dave Dove who remains as a key resource and steering committee member).
- Mar. 31, 2010 - Six months after the court-ordered release of water from a Central Valley dam, the San Joaquin River is now reconnected with San Francisco Bay, a major development in the river's long-term recovery and re-establishment of chinook salmon populations.
- Feb. 11, 2010 - Diane Feinstein authors Amendment to the Senate Jobs Bill to suspend the Environmental Species Act (ESA) protections for Chinook salmon and mandate certain pumping regimes from the Delta.
- Feb. 26, 2010 - Diane Feinstein withdraws her Amendment to the Senate Jobs Bill.
- Jan. 18, 2010 - Holidays are over and the STCDA (was SFBDF) activities begin again. Although the 2 Gates are currently postponed, the State's plans for the Peripheral Canal and increased exports is alive and well
- Jan. 23, 2010 - League of Women Voters' Delta Water Panel in Antioch attracted hundreds of concerned citizens and legislative representatives
- Dec. 14, 2009 - Sen. Feinstein's office replies to 2 Gates concerns with information about the USBR 2 Gates project and comment period (not very helpful - the comment period closed 2 weeks earlier!)
- Dec. 21, 2009 - Discovery Bay citizens met with US Congressman Jerry McNerney, Army Corp of Engineers, US Bureau of Reclamations - meeting organized by County Supervisor Mary Piepho and staff
- Dec. 22, 2009 - Obama Administration Plan postpones 2 Gates project indefinitely
- Nov. 1, 2009 - The Army Corp of Engineers begins its permitting process for the 2 Gates Project - Comment period ends Nov. 30, 2009. Lots of community activity in response to these projects!
- Nov. 4, 2009 - At 3 AM the 5 Water Bills (including Bond Package) are approved by the California legislature.
- Nov. 4, 2009 - STCDA (was SFBDF) received feedback that they ARE shaking up the Bureau of Reclamation and they did not anticipate such strong response. Dave Dove delivered the flyers to Sacramento today and The Bureau of Reclamation was clearly was blown away by the bulk of responses.
- Nov. 4, 2009 - US Congressman Jerry McNerney is definitely on our side!
- Nov. 9, 2009 - The STCDA (was SFBDF) hosts a town hall. Once again the Discovery Bay citizens turn out and fill the elementary school gym to overflowing. More comment cards were solicited - all requesting to extend the comment period (now just a few days away) since various city entities were just now finding out about the project. Donations were requested
- Nov. 11, 2009 - Contra Costa County calls for an extension to the 2 Gates comment period
- Nov. 13, 2009 - USBR extends the comment period for the 2 Gates Project to Nov. 30
- Nov. 14, 2009 - STCDA (was SFBDF) meets with Brentwood City Council, gets support from the San Francisco Yacht Club, spends another weekend passing out comment cards at Safeways
- Nov. 20, 2009 - The Army Corp of Engineers extends its comment period to Dec. 30, 2009
- Nov. 23, 2009 - Six federal agencies want the public to comment on key issues the agencies should address in the short-term work plan they are developing to ensure a sustainable water supply and restoring the environmental integrity of the California Bay-Delta ecosystem. Comments due by Tuesday, Dec. 1
- Nov. 23, 2009 - KGO airs interview with STCDA (was SFBDF) Media Relations Mike Guzzardo
- Nov. 23, 2009 - E-Mail response from US Sen. Feinstein's office applauds the passage of the 5 Water Bills and actions to move more water from the north to the south
- Nov. 25, 2009 - Water War flack - RestoreTheDelta.org calls out phony organization posting ads (showing the Delta as a toilet bowl) paid for by "Friends of the Delta" out of Newport Beach, California. When they called their office, the phone was answered by the Sheldon Group, a public relations firm, representing Southern California water interests and developers
- Nov. 25-30, 2009 - Comments and letters pour into the USBR from Discovery Bay CSD (with concerns about water treatment impacts, water quality, etc., etc.; the RBOC, the Sheriff and Marine Patrol. All with serious concerns
- Nov. 30, 2009 - Donations gathered allowed the STCDA (was SFBDF) to hire scientists to work with lawyer to put together the STCDA (was SFBDF) 85-page response to the USBR
- Oct 15, 2009 - US Senate (backed by Feinstein and Boxer) approve US funding for 2 Gates and other projects to increase exports to the Central Valley
- Oct 19, 2009 - Received email from the US Bureau of Reclamations that they had issued their Draft 2 Gates Fish Protection Project EA/FONSI with 30-day comment period ending Nov. 16. Everyone began spreading the word.
- Oct 27, 2009 - USBR meeting in Discovery Bay to discuss the 2 Gates project brings out citizens - they fill the elementary school gymnasium to standing room only
- Oct. 29, 2009 - Discovery Bay Yacht Club discussed the 2 Gates meeting and kicks off a grass-roots effort lead by Dave Dove. The Save the San Francisco Bay and Delta Foundation (SFBDF) is formed see website www.noDeltaGates.com
- Oct. 30, 2009 - STCDA (was SFBDF) mailing list is created from local groups (DBWGC, DBYC, attendees at the USBR meeting, etc.) Citizens are encouraged to submit comments to the USBR 2 Gates project
- Oct. 30, 2009 - STCDA (was SFBDF) mailing list is created combining Jan's contacts, DBYC, attendees at the USBR meeting, etc. Citizens are encouraged to submit comments to the USBR 2 Gates project
- Oct. 31, 2009 - STCDA (was SFBDF) grass-roots effort goes into first gear. Flyers are passed out at the Safeway store, comment cards solicited (Comment period ends in 2 weeks!), lawyer is consulted with In parallel other organizations - the RBOC, RestoreTheDelta.org, etc. - communicate with their members. Local leaders such as Mary Piepho raise the issue upward.
- Sep. 2, 2009 - Ongoing letter writing campaign from a growing number of concerned citizens. Expanded beyond California legislators to include US Senators Feinstein and Boxer. Even wrote to Obama Sep. 9th
- Sep. 8, 2009 - The topic of the 2 Gates Project was discussed at the Discovery Bay Yacht Club (DBYC)
- Sep. 9, 2009 - Discussion with Sen. DeSaulnier's aid about information she obtained about the 2 Gates Project from the USBR. But that raised even more boating and safety concerns.
- Sep. 11, 2009 - The 5 County Legislators worked through the night to defeat the Peripheral Canal Bills . . . or so we thought. Spurred another round of letter writing to defeat the 2 Gates project. And another letter to the editor.
- Sep. 15, 2009 - Sen. DeSaulinier's office received an update from the department of reclamation that the bids for the 2 Gates came in double their expected estimate due in large part to the expedited schedule. The 2 Gates schedule (installation in October 2009) was being delayed
- Sep. 16, 2009 - Received e-mail from the that they were completing a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), which then would have a 30-day public review and comment period
- Sep. 22, 2009 - BDCP 5-hour Workshop in Brentwood (chaired by Karla Nemeth). Citizens attended to get answers about 2 Gates. BDCP said they weren't involved in the 2 Gates project (although the gates were shown on all their maps labeled as permanent salinity gates!) The US Bureau of Reclamations was there (who WAS responsible for 2 Gates) but they said they didn't have any information to report on.
- Sep. 31, 2009 - Met with Susanna Schlendorf, District Director for Joan Buchanan at a Starbuck's in Oakley. She was very informative and encouraged the citizens of Discovery Bay to continue to reach out to our representatives and others. She did feel that the 2 Gates project was likely "done deals" due to stimulus funding from the US government
- Aug. 1, 2009 - Bass Fisherman passed out flyers to boats anchored in the Mildred Island anchorage informing them about the 2 Gates Project with installation scheduled OCTOBER 2009 in Old River and Connection Slough
- Aug. 2-5, 2009 - Began researching and emailing looking for information about 2 Gates. Connected with the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and RestoreTheDelta.org, e-mailed the local Community Services District (CSD) (town Board) about 2 Gates, began writing every government representative, notifying neighbors and friends, writing letters to the editor. Others joined in the letter-writing.
- Aug. 6, 2009 - CalFed meeting was held on 2 Gates held in Sacramento - few people were aware of it. Attendees said that very few of the important issues have been considered yet the project was rushing ahead. (The 2 Gates project was called “The biggest environmental experiment ever conducted” at the meeting)
- Aug. 8, 2009 - Emailed local paper asking why 2 Gates hadn't been covered. Paper felt that type of issue was for larger papers, not little papers.
- Aug. 12, 2009
- McCleerys sent emails to the EPA about 2 Gates. No reply was ever received.
- Letter to the Editor ran in the local newspaper.
- Received phone call from State Senator Mark DeSaulnier’s office. He was opposed to the Peripheral Canal but had no news about the 2 Gates project. His aid said they'd research it. - Aug. 13, 2009 - County Supervisor Mary Piepho's office requests DWR representative to speak to the CSD due to letters from concerned citizens. The office had the location of the 2 Gates by Frank's Tract rather than the current location in the center of the South Delta (i.e., the USBR changed the location without notifying any county representatives).
- Aug. 16-17 - Million Boater Float-In demonstration in Sacramento
- Aug. 19, 2009 - Roberta Goulart of the Contra Costa Water Agency came to the Discovery Bay CSD meeting to talk about the 2 Gates project. Unfortunately, she too thought the gates were still the other side of Frank's Tract, not right in the middle of the South Delta
- Aug. 25, 2009 - Called by State Assemblymember Joan Buchanan's office about 2 Gates.
- Aug. 26, 2009 - Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC) issue a Call to Arms to all boaters and yacht clubs regarding the 2 Gates.
- Aug. 27, 2009 - At the Discovery Bay Sheriff's open house, citizens talk to the Marine Patrol who had no idea about the 2 Gates plans and the gates are right in the middle of their normal rescue operations. Said it would be a big problem.
- Aug. 28, 2009 - Discovery Bay Press ran a front-page article on the 2 Gates Project (The paper began regularly covering 2 Gates status and events.)
- Aug. 28, 2009 - Sent request for letter writing campaign to expanded list of Discovery Bay contacts
- Aug. 28, 2009 - Supervisor Piepho sends plea to Congressman Jerry McNerney asking for his help regarding the 2 Gates project.
APRIL 2010
MARCH 2010
FEBRUARY 2010
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DECEMBER 2009
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SEPTEMBER 2009
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