[env-trinity] Sacramento Bee:Dianne Feinstein: California needs more water storage to end conflicts, bolster its economy

[W and S Denn]

On 6/14/2013 10:42 AM, Emilia Berol wrote:
> It's a pity that our Senator, Diane Feinstein, has such outdated views 
> on water policy. Our state needs a new Senator with the vision to lead 
> the state where it needs to go. Building more water storage is not 
> going to create more water. Does she think the water will magically 
> appear from the Heavens? Squeezing the very last drop out of the 
> available water supplies only prolongs the inevitable shortage for a 
> few more years, at great cost, to ecosystems and taxpayers.
>
> We need statewide water budgets. One example of poor water management 
> is the dairy industry.
> It uses half the developed Agriculture water supply, and given that 
> the Ag industry uses 85% of the state's developed water supply, one 
> can see that removing dairy farming from the dry regions of the state 
> would free up an enormous amount of water for the other half of the Ag 
> industry.
> Dairy farming is good where there is plenty of rain and green 
> pastures. Wisconsin, Oregon, and Northern California counties like 
> Marin, Sonoma and Humboldt is where dairy cows belong.
>
> And I do not need to mention the Westlands, as we all know what 
> retiring their toxic, salty desert lands would do to improve state 
> water supply.
>
> We don't need more reservoirs, we need a more sensible allocation of 
> water supplies.
>
> Emelia Berol
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Jun 14, 2013, at 8:10 AM, Tom Stokely <tstokely at att.net 
> <mailto:tstokely at att.net>> wrote:
>
>>
>>   http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/14/5495782/california-needs-more-water-storage.html
>>
>>
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I realize I am in the minority among this particular group, but I would 
appreciate your attention to the amount of water that has already been 
redistributed from water rights holders to the environment.  I would 
also like to dispute the statement that more storage will not produce 
more water.  Newer storage projects are designed to capture runoff water 
that flows out to sea during times of the year when it benefits no one 
and no species.  With additional storage to capture waters that are 
otherwise lost to the systems, timing of flows can be adjusted to fit 
needs, whether among water users or terrestrial and aquatic species when 
needs are present. Don't just give blanket condemnation to a matter 
about which you seem  to be poorly informed.  I wish things could go 
back to an earlier era too, when there were plenty of all natural 
resources to go around without man's intervention, but that is not the case.

The damage created in the Westlands began a long time ago, and yet you 
openly condemn without knowing or understanding the hardships being 
endured to try to correct the situation without bankrupting family 
farms.  Yes, there are still corporate farms in the southern San Joaquin 
Valley, but there are also increasing numbers of hard working young 
family farmers who understand the issues and are trying to  help correct 
what happened in the past.  I never hear that mentioned in e mails such 
as some in your group seem to be want to broadcast.  That is too bad.  
You are missing some valiant efforts of many folks who share a belief 
that if we focused on solutions instead of condemning problems, we might 
actually be able to afford some heroic "fixes".

   If we live in today's world it is incumbent upon us, as a 
questionably advanced species,  to be part of what is really happening, 
not what we wish were the case.  We have the abilities and technologies 
available to create and produce without  causing significant harm to 
ourselves or to nature.  But we have to spend less time and money 
defending ourselves and more time reaching for those new solutions to 
some old problems.   I hope a more reasonable attitude will prevail than 
to merely condemn without "trial" or hearing.            Sandy Denn
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