[env-trinity] Long-Term Renewal Contracts from Bureau of Reclamation

[Byron]

Following is an analysis by a Natural Resources Defense Council staff member
of renewal contracts to Central Valley Project water beneficiaries.  It also
relates to the several print media articles I forwarded to you earlier
today.   It includes information regarding the lawsuit filed yesterday by
NRDC and EarthJustice.

 

Attached is a series of articles in today's papers related to the impending
renewal of CVP contracts, including a front page LA Times story.  These
articles, particularly in statements by BOR staff, confirm NRDC's concerns
regarding the far-reaching impacts these contracts could have on the
Bay-Delta ecosystem, CALFED, other water users and the state's economy.  In
particular, these stories confirm that:

 

*	The Sacramento Valley contracts are for far more water than these
contractors have historically used. The South of Delta contracts are for far
more water than the Bureau is currently capable of delivering. (LAT) 
*	The Bureau intends to make full deliveries during the life of these
contracts. (Eureka) 
*	These increased deliveries are expected to come from increased Delta
diversions and new surface storage projects. (LAT and Eureka) 
*	Westlands may not need all of the water in their contract if
significant land is retired.  However, BOR regional director Kirk Rodgers
states that although the Westlands contract quantity would remain unchanged
in a new contract, if Westlands retires land the bureau "would need to
reevaluate what the needs are".  Of course, once a new contract is signed,
it would be extraordinarily difficult for the Bureau to revisit these terms.
(LAT) 
*	The threatened Delta smelt, one of the dozens of species that could
be affected by these contracts, is at its lowest level in more than 30 years
of monitoring.  Striped bass are also at a historically low level. (SFC and
Stockton) 

 

Our new suit challenging the OCAP BO (Bureau's Operating Criteria and Plan
and Biological Opinion) is based in part on the failure of the Bureau and
FWS to study the impacts of full contract deliveries, such as the impacts of
surface storage facilities (e.g. raising Shasta Dam and upper San Joaquin
River storage), relaxed environmental protections and increased Delta
pumping.  NMFS and state agencies have not analyzed these impacts either.

 

No state or federal agency has evaluated the questionable water rights
claims upon which the Sacramento River settlement contracts are based.

 

The new CVP contracts also make no provision for implementing a "beneficiary
pays" financing plan for new dams.  CVP contractors have argued that the
capital costs for these projects should simply be added to their current tab
- giving them another interest free loan and decades to repay.  The
contracts and the Bureau's statements appear to reflect that position.

 

 

Byron Leydecker, 

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Consultant, Californiua Trout, Inc.

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

415 519 4810 ce

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org (secondary)

http://www.fotr.org

http://caltrout.org

 

 

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