Among the controversial topics currently surrounding California agriculture is the twin tunnel project. President and CEO of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, Roger Isom, says he sees some possible positive outcomes from the project.
Isom said the tunnels will integrate with proposed surface storage to help fix the water system. “Certainly it’ll help the ones south of the Delta. It’s not the silver bullet; it’s one piece of the puzzle and a significant one.” Isom said. “If we are going to build offsite storage like Sites, the only way that really works and helps us is if we have a way to get it through the Delta on a regular basis.”
Isom said it’s a solution to a problem that was created well after farming was established in Central California. “Where these pumps are either shut off or operating minimally, that doesn’t help,” Isom said. “We built the farmland here in the San Joaquin Valley based on getting water through the Delta. That has been taken away by the biological opinions. This is our only solution to do that, to bring it through there in conjunction with Sites reservoir, Temperance Flat and the cross valley canal and making this work as a system together. This is a very internal piece for that.”