Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3622 Oct. 13-27, 2017 | Page 27

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VOL . 36 • ISS . 22

Westlands Water District Votes No On Delta Tunnels Project !

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In a major victory for Delta Tunnels opponents , the Board of Directors of the Westlands Water District on September 19 voted 7 to 1 against their participation in Governor Jerry Brown ’ s California WaterFix project .

Growers in the massive district , located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley , cited the high cost of the state-federal proposal as their reason for rejecting the project . Politically powerful Westlands is the largest irrigation district in the country . The district would be one of the key beneficiaries of the proposed 35-mile long twin tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — and their rejection of the project is a major loss for the Brown administration ’ s campaign to fast-track the construction of the tunnels . It also sends a message to other water districts that the cost of the controversial plan is not worth the potential benefits .
The Metropolitan Water District ( MWD ) of Southern California board is slated to vote on the tunnels on October 10 , but the Westlands vote delivers a major blow to the project .
“ Westlands ’ decision to not participate in the California WaterFix will make it very difficult for other agencies to participate ,” Tom Birmingham , the General Manager of Westlands , told the Los Angeles Times .
In a statement issued the day after the meeting , the district said they rejected the California WaterFix because the project is “ not financially viable ” from their perspective :
“ The District appreciates the efforts of Governor Jerry Brown and his administration to balance the interests of many . Indeed , over the last twelve months the State administration worked diligently to define a viable project , but from Westlands ’ perspective , the project is not financially viable .”
Westlands ’ principal source of water is the Central Valley Project , a project operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation . The CVP is integrated both operationally and financially . However , under the ‘ participation approach ’ announced by Reclamation for CWF , only CVP contractors that chose to participate in CWF would pay the costs of constructing and operating new facilities , with no assurance that those contractors would receive the water supply benefits resulting from CWF .
Westlands supported the development of CWF and has invested considerable financial resources , time , and expertise into its planning , but consistently stated that it would not obligate the farmers it serves to billions of dollars in debt without reasonable assurances that the project would produce reliable , affordable water supplies . The District recognizes that solving Delta conveyance issues is critical to ensuring reliable water supplies to support the economy of the State , but it cannot support a project that would make water supplies for its farmers unaffordable .”
Delta Tunnels opponents are very pleased with the Westlands decision .
“ Today is a very good day for California ,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla , Executive Director of Restore the Delta , in a statement . “ By rejecting California WaterFix , the Westlands Water District has dealt a blow to the project . There are many better solutions for creating a sustainable water supply in California .”
She noted that Metropolitan Water District ’ s math used to justify the construction of the project is based on a “ sizable contribution from Westlands ,” as is the Santa Clara Valley Water District ’ s math .
“ They now have to come up with a lot more money for the Delta Tunnels ,” Barrigan-Parrilla stated . “ It won ’ t pencil out for them either .”
Carolee Krieger , Executive Director of the California Water Impact Network , was also encouraged by the Westlands vote .
“ If the Central Valley farmers can ’ t afford this expensive boondoggle , how do the State Water project urban ratepayers think they can pay 100 percent of these costs ?” Krieger said . “ The tunnels project could bankrupt many water agencies , including the four South Coast water agencies in Santa Barbara County , while providing no benefits .”
“ What really needs to happen is the state must come to grips with how much water there really is available in the Delta watershed ,” noted Krieger . “ At this point , it ’ s been documented that there are 5-1 / 2 times more water rights promised than

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Oct . 13 - 27 , 2017
By Dan Bacher
25 can ever be delivered and our public trust resources have been totally left out of that number . Our public trust assets need to have a seat at the table when the courts adjudicate the water that ’ s really there .”
The Brown administration tried to downplay the significance of the Westlands decision .
“ There is one thing on which everyone agrees : Our aging infrastructure needs to be modernized ,” said California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird in a statement . “ Failing to act puts future water supply reliability at risk . This vote , while disappointing , in no way signals the end of WaterFix
The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board is tentatively scheduled to vote on whether or not to support the WaterFix on October 17 . On September 19 , the district voted to pass a “ no regrets package ” planning $ 100 million for 9 different projects like stormwater capture , leak repair and gray water , according to Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla , Executive Director of Restore the Delta ( RTD ).
The Westlands vote against the tunnels is not the only victory in the campaign to stop the project on the same day . The Los Angeles City Council Energy and Environmental Committee also voted no for the Delta Tunnels project -- “ until the project is fully financed and Metropolitan Water District meets all their considerations ,” according to RTD .
On September 18 , over 40 ratepayers drew significant media attention by holding a No Tunnels , No Water Rate Hike rally in front of Los Angeles City Hall .
Rally and meeting participants included representatives of Food & Water Watch , Consumer Watchdog , Union de Vecinos , Restore the Delta , Los Angeles Waterkeeper , Concerned Citizens of Compton , Southern California Watershed Alliance , Sierra Club Angeles Water Committee , March and Rally-LA , People Organized for Westside Renewal ( POWER ), and Ground Game LA , neighborhood council leaders and faith leaders .
“ The Delta Tunnels would raise water rates and property taxes in Los Angeles , costing ratepayers a total of $ 2.5 to $ 4 billion ,” said Brenna Norton of Food and Water Watch . “ These massive tunnels would change the way water is diverted from the Bay Delta and would send additional water to corporate agribusinesses in the Central Valley , while Southern California ratepayers pay more for no additional water .”
Also on September 19 , the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose voted to pass a “ no regrets package ” planning $ 100 million for 9 different projects like stormwater capture , leak repair and gray water , RTD stated .
The Associated Press recently revealed that “ dozens of water agencies and millions of families and farmers would be on the hook ” for building the Delta Tunnels . AP obtained new documents from Westlands — and confirmed the expanded funding demands in phone and email interviews with state and local water officials : https :// apnews . com / 712b- 5954fa3a4b4e9494cbbadefa6575 / AP- NewsBreak : -Millions-of-Californians-onhook-for-water-plan
In related news , the California Indian Water Commission joined three environmental groups — the California Water Impact Network , AquAlliance and California Sportfishing Protection Alliance — in filing a legal challenge to the financing of the Delta Tunnels .
A recent landmark 9th Circuit ruling that federally reserved Indian water rights have precedent over all state and federal water rights puts a new twist on how much water there really will be available for the tunnels or any other project — and could put a big wrench in state and federal plants to build the massive 35 mile long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta .
“ The California Indian Water Commission ’ s involvement in this filing is about upholding traditional indigenous responsibilities to the lands and waters of California ,” said Don Hankins , President of the federally recognized CIWC . “ With this filing , we affirm our commitment to future generations through protection of the lands and waters of this state , and the associated organisms , which we also maintain obligations to .”

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