[env-trinity] SACBEE: Folsom Lake, American River levels to hit 5-year lows

[Dan Bacher]

Here is my response to the Bee piece:

Even though we're in a "drought," the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and  
California Department of Water Resources are pumping water south to  
corporate agribusiness and oil companies like it's the wettest water  
year on record.

Keswick Dam water releases to the Sacramento River are currently  
14,250 cfs, Lake Oroville releases to the Feather River are 5500 cfs  
and Nimbus Dam releases to the American River are 3250 cfs.

If you drive over the Tower or Pioneer bridges on the Sacramento  
River, you can clearly see that the river is bank to bank, with water  
up to the trees. This pumping of water to benefit subsidized  
agribusiness interests is made possible through massive water  
transfers - and the violation of Delta water quality standards.

After the water is drained from northern California reservoirs and  
shipped south to Stewart Resnick of Paramount Farms and other  
corporate water contractors, there will be little water left for  
salmon and steelhead spawning this fall and winter. Salmon,  
steelhead, family farmers, fishermen, Indian Tribes and northern  
California residents are being ripped off to benefit a few wealthy  
mega-growers, the corporate welfare kings and queens of the San Joaquin.

Governor Jerry Brown is planning to make things only worse by  
building the peripheral tunnels as a tainted "monument" to his "legacy."

When will the people of California stand up and say enough is enough?

Dan Bacher, Sacramento

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/22/5584513/folsom-lake- 
american-river-levels.html#storylink=cpy


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