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Water
leader: '08 supplies grim
Smelt
protections will leave parts of state 35 percent drier
Cecilia Parsons
Capital
Press
"There are 216,000 acres of almonds south of the delta that rely on
water deliveries. Chances are it will be tough next year unless you can
find water to buy," said seminar speaker Mike Wade. Wade, executive
director of the California Farm Water Coalition, presented a statewide
picture of surface farm water supplies.
"Storage has fallen drastically since January. We have the lowest
overall storage since 2001. Without a wet winter, 2008 will be a tough
year," Wade said.
His sobering graphic of the state with a rope knotted tight around the
delta told the story: Water cuts to protect the smelt will leave the
south half of the state with 35 percent less water.
Bill Harrison, general manager of the Del Puerto Water District, said
Westside farmers have been reeling from one water crisis to another.
Prior to 1991, he said, surface water supplies were reliable. However,
federal laws enacted since then have diverted water for endangered
species, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and to comply with
the Clean Water Act.
Reliability of supplies has spiraled downward to 65 percent, he said.
During that time more growers have planted permanent higher-value crops
to pay for pumping irrigation water from their wells when surface
supplies are short.
He also warned there are other environmental issues looming besides the
delta smelt. A ruling is expected on water temperature control for
salmon in the
Brent Walthall, assistant general manager of the Kern County Water
Agency suggested the state needs to look ahead 40 to 60 years at water
needs and address the vulnerability of the delta. There is a 60 percent
chance of an earthquake in the next 50 years that could collapse 30
levees, he said.
"Within hours the water from the delta would be unusable. Economic
losses would be $30-40 billion in the first five years," he
predicted. The best idea, Walthall said, is building a canal around the
delta.
Although voters soundly rejected the proposition to build a canal in
1982, the idea is being revisited. Advantages listed by Walthall
included protection from levee failure, improved water quality, fish
protection and flexibility to address impacts of climate change on water
supplies. Disadvantages include cost and difficulty of building such a
conveyance.
Walthall said this version of the canal would be smaller, a 46-mile
unlined canal that could be built for an estimated $3.4 billion cost. He
estimated that if approved, canal construction and design would take
about 10 years.
In the interim there are no good answers for agricultural water users,
he said. Water supplies may be tight for a while. There is hope a new
biological opinion due in 2008 on delta smelt might not be as
restrictive for water pumping.
In reply to a question from the audience, Wade said opposition to the
canal is coming from the environmental community and in-delta water
users. In-delta users are concerned about losing their water quality.
One of the biggest challenges to the plan, he said would be securing
trust from the north that water volume down the canal would not harm
their water rights and trust in the south that the system would provide
for agriculture uses.
Cecilia Parsons is a staff writer based in Ducor. E-mail: cparsons@capitalpress.com.
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