[env-trinity] San Joaquin Restoration

[Byron Leydecker]

Group pulls out of water deal; Madera district first to leave river
settlement

Fresno Bee - 3/10/08

By Mark Grossi and Michael Doyle, the Fresno Bee

 

The Madera Irrigation District is abandoning the hard-won agreement to
restore the San Joaquin River -- a sign of growing doubts about the plan
among farmers whose support is crucial. 

 

At stake is the return of a regular water flow next year in the state's
second-longest river. The San Joaquin has been seasonally dry in two major
sections for decades since Friant Dam was built in the 1940s. The flow was
diverted to farm fields on the San Joaquin Valley's east side. 

 

Farmers and environmentalists in 2006 signed an agreement to restore the
river and salmon runs, ending an 18-year legal fight. On average, farmers
would lose almost 20% of their river water. They agreed to the deal because
they were afraid they would lose more water if the decision was left to a
judge. Nevertheless, they continue to worry about how much water they are
going to lose. 

 

For the past 18 months, lawmakers have been working on legislation to
provide funding for the agreement and possibly to replace some of the farm
water supplies. 

 

With no final bill to assure them that they could reclaim some of that
restoration water, the Madera district decided to back out of the agreement
last week at a board meeting. 

 

Madera is the first water district to take this action. 

 

The agreement requires a 30-day cooling off period during which the district
will discuss its issues with other water districts, environmentalists and
the federal government. 

 

"We need to talk about our concerns," said Madera board president Carl
Janzen. "Maybe we can settle this." 

 

Many water officials do not think the loss of one district will hurt the
restoration agreement. Most of the 18 farm water agencies involved still
appear to support the agreement, said Ron Jacobsma, general manager of the
Friant Water Users Authority, which represents all the districts involved. 

 

But the concern is that farmers -- worried that they have no guarantee the
water will be restored -- will pressure other water districts to back out. 

 

On Friday, the Friant governing board is scheduled to discuss restoration
bill amendments that may calm farmer fears. 

 

The Friant meeting will be in Visalia behind closed doors because they are
discussing legal action, though any official action must be publicly
announced. 

 

Supporters of the restoration bill in Washington, D.C., say the project can
legally proceed even if several irrigation districts opt out. 

 

"I don't suspect this will hold the process up," said Rep. George
Radanovich, R-Mariposa. Democratic Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno agreed. 

 

But Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of Visalia, the restoration effort's most
vocal opponent among lawmakers, said Madera's disapproval alone is enough to
kill the settlement. He said Friant organization votes on the legislation
and the agreement must be unanimous to be valid. 

 

Attorneys are looking into whether Friant needs unanimous agreement among
its board of directors for the deal. 

 

To address the farm water supply worries, Costa and Democratic Sen. Dianne
Feinstein have prodded legislative negotiators to make the restoration bill
stronger. They pushed amendments to assure farmers that some restoration
water will be returned to fields after it has run through the river. 

 

Negotiators agreed to authorize up to $35 million from a federal restoration
fund to rehabilitate the Friant-Kern and Madera canals, which deliver water
to farmers. They also agreed to authorize such projects as the ground-water
bank that the Madera Irrigation District wants to build. 

 

Those proposed amendments will be discussed Friday at the Friant meeting. 

 

But many farmers have been even more concerned since a federal judge last
year ruled that more water might be needed to protect fish in the
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. They worry that river restoration water
will go to the delta for the fish, not to their irrigation canals. 

 

Farmer Kole Upton, Chowchilla Water District board member, said he supports
Madera's vote. 

 

"They're the only ones who have done it so far," said Upton, who helped
negotiate the 2006 agreement but has changed his mind over the last several
months. "Chowchilla might do it. There may be others."

 

 

Byron Leydecker

Friends of Trinity River, Chair

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 

415 519 4810 cell

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

 <http://www.caltrout.org>  

 <http://www.fotr.org>  

 

 

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