[env-trinity] Sac Bee April 24

[Byron Leydecker]

Democrats kill governor's dam-building plan


By Judy Lin - Capitol Alert


Last Updated 1:15 pm PDT Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Saying they preferred to champion water conservation and protect the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem, Senate Democrats on Tuesday voted
down Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $4 billion plan to put two dams on the
2008 ballot.

Senate Bill 59 by Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, had Republican support, but
couldn't muster the necessary five votes to pass out of the Democrat-led
committee.

SB 59 calls for voters to approve bonds to build one dam at Temperance Flat
just above Friant Dam near Fresno, and the other on Sites reservoir in
Colusa and Glenn counties. Republicans from the Central Valley argue there
hasn't been new dam construction in the last 25 years while the state's
population has grown by 15 million.

In a statement, the governor said he would "continue to utilize all
available means to push for a solution that includes surface storage,
allowing California to implement a water plan to endure longer drought
periods and higher flood peaks."

Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, said no one questions the need for more water
storage, but he questioned the cost and locations of the proposal. Sen.
Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and chair of the Senate Natural Resources
and Water Committee, said Democrats were putting their own solution forward
in the form of Senate Bill 1002, which allocates bond money for water and
conservation.

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Friends of Trinity River, Chair

California Trout,Inc., Advisor

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

 <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net> bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

http:// <http://www.fotr.org> www.fotr.org

http:// <http://www.caltrout.org> www.caltrout.org 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20070424/1685aaa8/attachment.html>