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

Democrats urge Brown to consider alternative to water project

Coalition response…The alternative plan put forth by the lawmakers simply does not meet the water needs of California. Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley would lose water that could irrigate 750,000 acres under the single-tunnel plan. Less acreage planted means less jobs and a reduced supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from some of the most productive land in the world. The negative impacts of this proposal can be viewed at www.farmwater.org/BDCP-NRDC_alt.pdf. Additional water restrictions would be felt by the 25 million people who rely on water that flows through the Delta for a portion of their water supply.

The alternative plan calls for conservation and recycling of water at the regional level but fails to acknowledge that these efforts are already underway.

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is a comprehensive effort to improve water supply reliability and the Delta ecosystem. It is much more than creating a few wetlands and building a pair of tunnels. The BDCP is an approach to fixing numerous ecological and conveyance issues that currently prevent the reliable delivery of water. Scientists and researchers have worked for years in developing the BDCP as the best opportunity to create a dependable water supply and a restored Delta ecosystem. The result of these efforts is the current BDCP and it provides a secure water future for California.