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NGO's including CSPA ask that 300,000 acres be retired for health of San Luis Drain

July 25, 2009 -- The Department of the Interior is currently evaluating two different alternatives for dealing with toxic agricultural runoff to the San Luis Drain. However, Friends of the Trinity River, CSPA, the NCCFFF, the Save Our Streams Council, and the Butte Environmental Council believe both alternatives are inadequate since one has a negative cost effect of -10 million dollars annually and the other -15 million dollars annually.

Both plans call for the retirement of impaired west San Joaquin valley agricultural land, the first plan just under 200,000 acres and the second only 100,000 acres. In contrast, the NGO groups are calling for the retirement of 300,000 acres which would actually bring the cost benefits to a  positive 3.5 million dollars annually. Their conclusions were backed by a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and statements by the U.S.G.S.

The contractors involved in the San Luis Drain issues are also asking for a million acre feet of water annually on a permanent basis. The NGO's believe, "that the Contractors' proposal to solve their drainage problem is doomed to fail, and it simply is a ruse to obtain a permanent water contract which will enable it to sell its subsidized water to the highest urban bidder at enormous profits when their proposal predictably fails. Water purchased by the Contractors at, say even $50 an acre foot can be sold for $650 an acre foot. By 2020,will this be $2,000 an acre foot, and $4,000 an acre foot by 2040.
Implementation of this legislative proposal would be a giveaway of taxpayer dollars and a public resource of unprecedented proportions."

In light of the above, the NGO's are asking David Hayes, Deputy Secretary for the Interior to re-consider the options for correction of the San Luis problems.

The full document can be read here.