Sacramento River Flow HEARINGS: November 17th, December 1st, and December 11th
On April 20th, 2022, the Department of Water Resources sent out a non-factual statement about how the Delta Conveyance Project is the answer to managing our water system for climate change.
While salmon die off, Delta smelt go extinct, water quality deteriorates in the Delta, and flood threat to disadvantaged communities increase, DWR sends out a ridiculous statement about how a Delta Tunnel will solve California’s water supply problems.
This is false because we know that DWR’s climate change modeling is flawed. We know the Delta Conveyance project will further harm Delta water quality problems and fail to help Delta communities prepare for the flood threat because DWR is supporting a voluntary agreement process that will reduce flows through the Delta to an even greater degree to justify building the conveyance project.
DWR cannot use climate change as an excuse for its conveyance project, rather than doing the real work of making water management sustainable as we all prepare for the extreme impacts from climate change. Imagine if, instead of 15 years of tunnel promotion, DWR had focused on local water supply resiliency projects and protected communities from extreme flood events. Everyone in the state who depends on reliable, clean, water would be much better off than they are now.
Climate change cannot justify a bad idea. Climate change is why there must be meticulous planning, and projects that will lift all communities and the environment to face our changing climate future.
Call your legislator today and tell them that DWR’s propaganda and time-wasting need to end. Explain to them the problems with their climate change forecast and their continued push for extreme exports for water deliveries. Tell them you want a myriad of local water projects set in place and flood management projects that will prepare future generations for our climate reality. By the way, DWR was pumping from the South Delta at 6,680 cfs capacity during last October (full capacity under Army Corps flood safety rules). Clearly, they want a tunnel that will do away with Delta water quality protections. We will have a lot more to say about that in the days ahead.