From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

ACID water export to San Joaquin Valley discussed at Cottonwood town hall meeting

Coalition response…Pat Minturn is mistaken in his thinking that the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and its proposed tunnels will divert twice the amount of water needed in the San Joaquin Valley. Operation of the tunnels is designed to deliver about 5.2 million acre-feet, the average amount delivered over the past 20 years. The BDCP is about improving the reliability for users south of the Delta that have been unable to receive the amount of water they have a legal right to use. Area-of-origin water rights are protected by State law that prevents new projects from having a negative impact on existing upstream users.

The amount of water that can be delivered at any given time is limited by a number of factors that protect existing water rights holders, water quality and the environment. According to BDCP documents, the project would only be permitted to operate with regulatory protections, including river water levels and flow, which would be determined based upon how much water is actually available in the system, the presence of threatened fish species, and water quality standards. Individuals seeking to learn more about the flow of water through the tunnels can find information at http://bit.ly/18FGxrl.

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