Adam Gray
By Assemblyman Adam Gray
Arguments between local governments and individual farmers over the sale, transfer, and local usage of water are all too familiar. Some districts oppose efforts to transfer water out of basins or across county lines. Some irrigation districts oppose city plans to sell wastewater to other irrigation districts. But regardless of where you stand on these specific disputes, all of us in the Valley must work together in unity to confront the single largest threat to our economy, our farms, and our way of life since the dams were constructed.
The State of California has proposed a staggering increase in the unimpaired flows from the Tuolumne, Merced and Stanislaus rivers. In effect, the State’s plan would divert over 350,000 acre-feet of water away from irrigation every year during months when water supplies are most essential for irrigation. It is as if the State Water Board holds these three tributaries responsible for the health of the entire Delta.
This water take is completely unprecedented in its scope, and is inexplicable at a time when we are suffering from the worst drought in California’s recorded history. The Central Valley has already lost over $2 billion in economic productivity and cost 17,100 people their jobs. This is not to mention the other problems associated with the drought such as land subsidence of over a foot annually from groundwater pumping. In fact, California passed a law last year mandated the development of sustainable groundwater management plans, and yet it has proposed to implement a plan which it recognizes will have “significant but unavoidable” negative impacts on our ability to achieve sustainable basins.
This is not an idle threat, and there are no signs of giving up this ludicrous scheme. The state has spent millions on its effort to update the Bay Delta Plan. This proposal has already been submitted for public review, and the second revision is due to be released soon.
Our area does not have many allies in this fight. People north of Sacramento are in stage two of this process, and it will be many years before the water board turns its eyes north. South of Merced is exempt from this process, and there has been no discussion of lessening the water pumped south from the Delta to southern California’s cities and fields. Statewide and national environmental groups have actually criticized the plan not because it takes too much water, but because it takes too little. They are demanding a 60% increase in the flows and have spent tremendous resources to lobby for their side.
We have a responsibility to tell the other side of the story.
This is wrongheaded, unscientific and counterproductive to solving our state’s water problems. While other regions of the state shoulder none of this burden, our communities will be devastated economically and will see our agricultural industry and hundreds of thousands of our residents denied access to the water stored in the dams our ratepayers built.
I have introduced AB 1242 which would require that State Water Board to fully mitigate the impact of any increase in unimpaired flows from the Merced, the Stanislaus, or the Tuolumne. This will be an uphill fight, but we must begin to make the case to others outside our area. Please support this measure! Your letters will be made part of the record and can help demonstrate how seriously this plan would impact our areas.
Letter can be sent to:
Assemblyman Adam Gray
PO Box 942849
State Capitol
Sacramento CA, 94249-0021