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Water Agencies, Enviros and Tribes Unite to Delay Water Bills

by Dan Bacher, editor of the FishSniffer

September 7, 2009 -- One of the largest and most diverse coalitions of water agencies, environmentalists, Indian Tribes, fishermen and environmental justice groups in California history has assembled to oppose Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's mad rush to enact a dangerous package of water bills before the end of the legislative session, September 11. 
 
The 42 groups from both northern and southern California sent a letter to the Water Conference Committee and other members of the Legislature on September 2, stating that "the few days left in this session are simply insufficient to ensure that passage of the package of bills will not result in unintended consequences that could prove even more harmful than the current situation presents." 
 
"The Delta package of bills that is now being considered proposes fundamental changes in California water policy that will require careful and broad consultation to ensure undisrupted implementation," the letter says. "More importantly, to be successful, the policy will require confidence and buy in from a broad constituency. Rushing this process risks producing unintended consequences that will not benefit California in the long term." 
 
Bill Jennings, executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, one of the groups signing the letter, described the water deal as "a combination of the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Faust's bargain with the Devil." 
 
"Not satisfied with simply giving the Governor the power to appoint the majority of a Council that has the power to approve a peripheral canal, bonds and new dams are now part of the equation," noted Jennings. 
 
The letter was preceded by numerous letters by organizations opposing the peripheral canal, including a strongly written letter sent by the Center for Biological Diversity and many fishing groups: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/san_francisco_bay_area_and_
delta_protection/pdfs/Delta_Bill_Package_opposition_letter.pdf 
 
Labor has also joined the battle against the canal and water bond. The United Farmworkers Union, founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, reported that a $1-million donation was made to a political action committee called “United Farm Workers’ Committee to Oppose Statewide Water Bonds," according to the LA Times on September 1. The donation came from the Change to Win Coalition, a national labor coalition including SEIU and the Teamsters Union. 
 
The opposition of groups from throughout the state is accompanied on the local level by a grassroots uprising of Steinberg's constituents and Delta residents. A group of 40 people held a demonstration outside of Steinberg's office on Friday, September 4 in opposition to Steinberg's push for the peripheral canal (http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/09/05/18620933.php). 
 
"We are alarmed at how the current package of five water bills is being pushed through the Legislature without consideration for the many concerns of Delta and northern California residents," said Barbara Daly, Delta farmland owner, of Save the Delta. "We are protesting the legislation's ceding of control of our water to only 7 political appointees on a governance committee that could approve the building of a peripheral canal." 
 
Meanwhile, deals are apparently being made behind closed doors regarding the peripheral canal and the future of the West Coast's largest estuary. "I'm informed that the fate of the Delta estuary is being horse-traded in backroom meetings between Lester Snow (DWR), Senator Steinberg (D-Sacrament) Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Senator Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto), Barry Nelson (NRDC), Tom Birmingham (Westlands Water District), Tim Brick (Metropolitan Water District) and Joe Caves (Nature Conservancy)," said Jennings. 
 
Saturday and Sunday's legislative meetings over the water bills were canceled and the next meeting will take place at 1:00 PM today (Monday) in room 4203 of the Capitol. Today's meeting will focus on AB 49 (Feuer/Huffman) regarding outstanding issues on water conservation, SB 261 (Dutton/Ducheny), and SB 229 (Pavley) regarding water diversion reporting. The public will be able to comment on the legislation. 
 
What can you do to stop the peripheral canal and delay the water bill package? 
 
First, make phone calls and emails to Senator Darrell Steinberg through the Friends of the River Acton Alert to urge him not rush into the kind of potential policy disaster that created California’s unsuccessful and costly experiment in energy deregulation! The link is: https://secure2.convio.net/fotr/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=225 
 
After you make your phone call and emails, please sign the petition against the peripheral canal on the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) Website at http://www.calsport.org. 
 
Here is the letter, starting with the list of organizations and tribes signing on to the letter. 
 
 
Anahuak Youth Sports 
Butte Environmental Council 
Calaveras Public Utility District 
California Indian Heritage Council 
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance 
Central Delta Water Agency 
Citrus Heights Water District 
City of Folsom 
City of Roseville 
Clean Water Action 
East Bay Municipal Utility District 
El Dorado Irrigation District 
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water 
Food and Water Watch 
Foothill Conservancy 
Friends of the Los Angeles River 
Friends of the River 
Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District 
Heal the Bay 
Jackson Valley Irrigation District 
Mono Lake Committee 
Northern California Water Association 
Orangevale Water Company 
Organic Sacramento 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations 
Planning and Conservation League 
Restore the Delta 
Sacramento Suburban Water District 
San Diego Coastkeeper 
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission 
San Joaquin County 
San Juan Water District 
Sierra Club California 
Sierra Nevada Alliance 
South Delta Water Agency 
Southern California Watershed Alliance 
Stockton East Water District 
The River Project 
Tuolumne Utilities District 
Urban Semillas 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe 
 
September 2, 2009 
 
Honorable Darrell Steinberg Honorable Karen Bass 
Honorable Dean Florez Honorable Anna Caballero 
Honorable Alex Padilla Honorable Jean Fuller 
Honorable Fran Pavley Honorable Jared Huffman 
Honorable Dave Cogdill Honorable Kevin Jeffries 
Honorable Sam Aanestad Honorable Jim Nielsen 
Honorable Bob Huff Honorable Jose Solorio 
 
Dear Water Conference Committee Members: 
 
We the undersigned are pleased to see the Legislature committing its time and staff to addressing the declining situation in California statewide water management. As the hub of California’s engineered water system, the Delta is a critical resource to everyone in the state. As the largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas, the Delta is also one of the most endangered 
ecosystems in the United States. We stand committed to working with the Legislature and its appointed conference committee through the remainder of this legislative session and beyond to arrive at a solution that improves the health of the Delta. 
 
The few days left in this session are simply insufficient to ensure that passage of the package of bills will not result in unintended consequences that could prove even more harmful than the current situation presents. These Delta bills have not yet been amended with only nine days left. 
 
Please do not mistake our views as being opposed to change. We understand that systemic changes will be needed to fix the Delta. However, we feel that in order to move past the stalemate surrounding the Delta, the Legislature and conference committee must find solutions to the most controversial issues. Unless those are discussed and resolved, the legislation will result in an ineffective package that will result only in a lifetime of litigation and no new water, jobs or protections for the environment. 
 
The Delta package of bills that is now being considered proposes fundamental changes in California water policy that will require careful and broad consultation to ensure undisrupted implementation. More importantly, to be successful, the policy will require confidence and buyin from a broad constituency. Rushing this process risks producing unintended consequences that will not benefit California in the long term. 
 
At this juncture, water is one of the highest priority policy issues for California. It is important that any deal for the Delta promotes real and reliable improvements in the health of the Delta itself and promotes responsible statewide management of our water resources. 
 
Sincerely, 

Raul Macias, Executive Director 
Anahuak Youth Sports Association 
 
Lynn Barris 
Butte Environmental Council 
 
John Ornellas, District Manager 
Calaveras Public Utility District 
 
Evon Chambers signing on behalf of: 
Randy Yonemura, Project Director 
California Indian Heritage Council 
 
Bill Jennings, Executive Director 
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance 
 
Dante Nomellini, Manager and Counsel 
Central Delta Water Agency 
 
Robert Churchill, General Manager 
Citrus Heights Water District 
 
Kenneth Payne, Utilities Director 
City of Folsom 
 
Derrick Whitehead, Utilities Director 
City of Roseville 
 
Jennifer Clary, Water Policy Analyst 
Clean Water Action 
 
Dennis M. Diemer, General Manager 
East Bay Municipal Utility District 
 
Thomas D. Cumpston, Acting General 
Manager 
El Dorado Irrigation District 
 
Debbie Davis, Legislative Analyst 
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water 
 
Mark Schlosberg, California Director 
Food and Water Watch 
 
Chris Wright, Executive Director 
Foothill Conservancy 
 
Shelly Backlar, Executive Director 
Friends of the Los Angeles River 
 
Steve Evans, Conservation Director 
Friends of the River 
 
Thaddeus Bettner, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation 
District 
 
Mark Gold, Executive Director 
Heal the Bay 
 
Thomas Hoover, General Manager 
Jackson Valley Irrigation District 
 
Jonas Minton signing on behalf of: 
Geoff McQuilken, Executive Director 
Mono Lake Committee 
 
Donn Zea, President & CEO 
Northern California Water Association 
 
Sharon Wilcox, General Manager 
Orange Vale Water Company 
 
Organic Sacramento 
 
Zeke Grader, Executive Director 
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's 
Associations 
 
Charlotte Hodde, Water Program Manager 
Planning and Conservation League 
Restore the Delta 
 
Robert Roscoe, General Manager 
Sacramento Suburban Water District 
 
Ms. Gabriel Solmer, Legal Director 
 
San Diego Coastkeeper 
 
Michael Carlin, Deputy General Manager 
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission 
 
Ken Vogel, Supervisor 
San Joaquin County 
 
Shauna Lorance, General Manager 
San Juan Water District 
 
Jim Metropulos, Senior Advocate 
Sierra Club California 
 
Joan Clayburgh, Executive Director 
Sierra Nevada Alliance 
 
John Herrick, Manager and Counsel 
South Delta Water Agency 
 
Conner Everts, Executive Director 
Southern California Watershed Alliance 
 
Kevin M. Kauffman, General Manager 
Stockton East Water District 
 
The River Project 
 
Pete Kampa, General Manager 
Tuolumne Utilities District 
 
Miguel Luna, Executive Director 
Urban Semillas 
 
Mark Franco, Headman 
Winnemem Wintu Tribe 
 
cc: Members of the Legislature