[GPSCC-chat] Fwd: Mercury News editorial, "Delta's health should take priority over pumping"

[Wes Rolley]

I think that we need to send multiple letters to the Mercury News 
thanking them for taking this strong position to save CA Water supplies.


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Mercury News editorial, "Delta's health should take priority 
over pumping"
Date: 	Wed, 25 Feb 2015 19:09:35 +0000
From: 	Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 
<barbara at restorethedelta.org>
Reply-To: 	Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 
<barbara at restorethedelta.org>
To: 	wrolley at charter.net



Mercury News editorial, "Delta's health should take priority over pumping"
Great editorial by San Jose Mercury News!
	
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    Media alert:

    Mercury News editorial: Delta's health should take priority over pumping

/Mercury News Editorial
POSTED: 02/24/15, 2:47 PM PST /

California needs to get serious about protecting the health of the 
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, one of Silicon Valley's most 
valuable water sources. The short-term needs of Central Valley farmers 
are significant. But they pale in comparison with preserving the 
long-term water quality of the estuary that provides water for 
two-thirds of the state's residents.

California took a significant risk when it waived some environmental 
protections last year for the Delta in order to pump additional water 
south to save acres of almond orchards. The results were not pretty. Tom 
Howard, the executive director of the State Water Resources Control 
Board, admitted last week that he had erred in calculating how damaging 
the impact would be.
The Delta smelt count dropped to the lowest level in recorded history. 
The impact on salmon was equally horrendous. The state reported that 95 
percent of the juvenile Chinook salmon that spawned in the upper 
Sacramento River died because of the poor water conditions. Rising water 
temperatures and lower river levels also resulted in the growth of 
invasive plants that damage water quality.
California can't let this degradation of the largest estuary west of the 
Mississippi continue. The state will determine in March how much water 
can be pumped from the Delta in the months ahead. Gov. Jerry Brown needs 
to demonstrate that he has his priorities straight when it comes to the 
Delta's delicate ecosystem.
Big Ag critics contend that limiting pumping of additional water from 
the Delta constitutes putting fish before people. It's a misleading 
argument. The Delta smelt is merely the canary in the coal mine when it 
comes to preserving the estuary's health. Further degradation to the 
Delta will ultimately threaten the quality of the drinking water for 
Northern California residents.

Central Valley farmers, who suck up 80 percent of the water used in 
California, have proved that they have an unquenchable thirst for 
additional water to irrigate their crops. They've already sucked dry 
their own aquifers and irresponsibly planted thousands of acres of 
almond orchards without sufficient guarantees that water would be 
available during California's inevitable drought years.
The public policy makers who will make the crucial decision on Delta 
pumping in March are the same ones who are also asking state residents 
to trust them to the care of the Delta with their plan to build two 
massive $25 billion tunnels to pump even more water south from the Delta.

California's drought shows no signs of abating as the final weeks of the 
rainy season approaches.

Central Valley farmers need to come up with an alternate plan that does 
not do further damage to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

*Original article from San Jose Mercury News website here. * 
<http://restorethedelta.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=06887fa70084fef8e939fef63&id=9a266f3f47&e=3dcf0a5069>

	

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