From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.
Coalition response…Operations of the twin tunnels with a capacity of 9,000 cfs will be based on the available supply of water, according to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. When water supply is low in the Sacramento River, the amount of water flowing through the tunnels will be reduced. When the supply is high, the tunnel flows will increase (www.farmwater.org/exportthrottle.pdf). Fears of draining the Sacramento River are simply not based on facts. The actual purpose of the twin tunnels is to move water that is already permitted under rights granted by the State of California to public water agencies. Those agencies serve many farms, homes and businesses that are a vital part of California’s economy. No new project, according to California law, may negatively impact an existing water right, which appropriately safeguards the rights of those in the Sacramento Valley and the Delta.
The 3,000 cfs tunnel, which is actually an NRDC proposal, provides no relief for farmers in the San Joaquin Valley. A recent study indicated that 750,000 acres of productive farmland could be fallowed because the NRDC proposal ignores the water supply needs of thousands of farmers who provide locally-grown food for our grocery stores.
