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Department of Interior News Release

 

Secretary Salazar Clears Way to Expand Water Supplies in the California Drought Water Bank Will Help Stretch Water Resources in Central Valley

 

This is a long way from a done deal. Look for some attempts at court ordered intervention to halt this end run around allowing for more pumping. Ed.

 

April 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the federal government has cleared the transfer of water among various sources through California’s Drought Water Bank, a vital tool to relieve drought conditions in the state.

 

“The drought situation in California threatens community water supplies, farms and ranches,” said Secretary Salazar. “The Drought Water Bank and the economic stimulus funds I announced here in California last week represent vital parts of the Obama Administration’s effort to help the people of the Central Valley and other areas in California.”
 
The drought, now in its third year, has forced reduction of deliveries for urban and agricultural uses. Through the Drought Water Bank, Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation is working with the California Department of Water Resources to minimize hardships from the water shortages and enable California water providers to supplement their supplies with water transfers from willing sellers.
 
The Bureau of Reclamation today cleared the only remaining federal hurdle for the 2009 Drought Water Bank by releasing an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. This action enables the state to purchase water from willing sellers upstream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and to approve the transfer of the water to willing buyers using State Water Project facilities or Central Valley Project facilities.
 
Under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act, Secretary Salazar determined that the emergency drought assistance is merited under federal law and has approved the Governor’s request for assistance. Reclamation will participate in the Drought Water Bank, which will allow the two water projects to effectively move water from willing sellers to buyers. Reclamation will review and approve, as appropriate, proposed transfers from Central Valley Project contractors in accordance with the Interim Guidelines for the Implementation of Water Transfers under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) (http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvpia/3405a/index.html).
 
The water will be made available for transfer through a combination of crop idling, crop substitution, groundwater substitution and reservoir reoperation and will be available for purchase by public and private water providers in California based on certain needs criteria developed by the state (http://www.water.ca.gov/drought/).
The environmental assessment released today analyzed the potential upper limit of water that may be made available through the bank in 2009; however, actual transfers will depend on hydrology, interested buyers, the amounts that sellers are willing to transfer, and compliance with legal transfer requirements, as applicable. The environmental assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinion as an appendix, were developed to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. The Drought Water Bank will be in compliance with State and local regulations concerning ground water pumping.
 
The Biological Opinion notes that the water transfers are not likely to adversely affect the ESA-listed delta smelt and San Joaquin kit fox, and calls for Reclamation to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service on recovery efforts for the giant garter snake, for which critical habitat has not yet been designated.
The documents are available for review at www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=3591 #
http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/042209a.html