Editorial: Water reform legislation leaves doubts about Delta protection
Editorial
Contra Costa Times
09/06/2009
AFTER FAILING to pass a balanced budget and failing to reach a workable state prisoner-reduction plan, legislative leaders and the governor are now rushing to pass a water reform package that also is flirting with failure.
It appears that the underlying purpose of the legislation is to build an updated version of the Peripheral Canal around the Delta to divert water to the Central Valley and Southern California.
We understand that some new form of conveyance is needed to assure reliable deliveries of fresh water to the 25 million Californians who rely on trans-Delta water, whether it be a canal or underground aqueduct.
However, we have grave concerns about whether the Delta's delicate ecosystem will be adequately protected or if water quality in the Delta will be safeguarded.
There also is a question about who will pay for a conveyance and two modest reservoirs. Will water users, particularly agricultural interests, pay their fair share? Or will too much of the cost be borne by taxpayers through another mammoth water bond measure?
The reason we have such doubts about the water legislation is that Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg have created a 14-member conference committee that lacks a single legislator from the Delta.
It is also disturbing that one of the Legislature's strongest voices on Delta protection, Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, was omitted from the committee. Steinberg arrogantly stated that she was left off because he could not be assured she would vote for the final legislative package. Does that mean the 14 members on the conference committee are all sure votes?
Steinberg said that as a Sacramento lawmaker, he would represent Delta interests. Really? He already has shown his hand with a stacked conference committee.
Another reason to worry about protecting the Delta's interest is the provision setting up a Delta Stewardship Council that would be in charge of planning, financing, building and operating new water facilities.
The council would consist of seven members, four appointed by the governor, one by the Senate Committee on Rules and one by the Assembly speaker. The seventh member would be the chairperson of the Delta Protection Commission.
In other words, there would be scant Delta representation on the governing council and no representation on the key legislative conference committee, which has been carefully assembled even before any legislation has passed.
This newspaper has long held that the state's water policy must protect the Delta environment with guaranteed continuous flows of fresh water, regardless of whether a peripheral aqueduct or canal is built.
We also believe significant increases in aboveground storage are needed to assure enough year-round water for the Delta environment as well as agricultural, commercial and residential users.
