[env-trinity] Fwd: NEWS: High Risks for Farmers with Delta Tunnels

[Tom Stokely]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Restore the Delta <barbara at restorethedelta.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 1:02 PM
Subject: NEWS: High Risks for Farmers with Delta Tunnels
To: tgstoked at gmail.com


Restore the Delta Outlines Risks of Delta Tunnels Participation for
Westlands in Comment Letter

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*Press release: *

*Restore the Delta Outlines Risks of Delta Tunnels Participation for
Westlands in Comment Letter*
Read at our website
<http://restorethedelta.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=06887fa70084fef8e939fef63&id=a9b8a9bb3a&e=2ca461c02c>
.


Yesterday, Restore the Delta submitted a formal letter
<http://restorethedelta.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=06887fa70084fef8e939fef63&id=a98bec7ecb&e=2ca461c02c>
regarding the risks of the CA WaterFix proposal to the Westlands Water
District. The comment letter outlined various fiscal, environmental, and
supply reliability risks of the project for Westlands farmers and reveals
the steep cost of the project, even should Central Valley Project (CVP)
contractors agree to a 20-30 percent participation share.

In addition, Fitch Ratings Service said in a press release
<http://restorethedelta.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=06887fa70084fef8e939fef63&id=53e3675179&e=2ca461c02c>
yesterday that, "The MWD (Metropolitan Water District) estimate is based on
a cost split for the Fix of 55 percent SWP (State Water Project) and 45
percent CVP (Central Valley Project). However, this assumes that all other
SWP and CVP contractors sign on to the Fix. The cost to MWD and its
ratepayers could be higher if some contractors decline to participate.”

Should Westlands as part of the Central Valley Project only be able to pay
20-30 percent for the tunnels, the State Water Project would end up paying
70-80 percent of total WaterFix costs, with MWD paying a 37-42 percent of
WaterFix total costs, based on their own formulas. In addition, Fitch notes
that some water districts are now hitting the threshold for water
affordability.

*Executive Director of Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla said:*
"There is such a high degree of financial risk for farmers in the Westlands
Water District with CA WaterFix that we cannot see any true benefits for
them from the project. In addition, if the Metropolitan Water District
becomes the lead agency for a Finance Joint Powers Authority (they're
already leading the effort on the Construction Joint Powers Authority) as
discussed at a recent MWD meeting, Westlands will be tied to and following
the lead of the largest urban water district in California, rather than
setting their own water management course. Considering that MWD senior
management continues to tell its board that Central Valley Project
contractors, which Westlands is a part of, will be contributing a 45
percent share toward construction costs for CA WaterFix, when we know CVP
contractors are also considering a smaller 20 percent or 30 percent
contribution, it seems that MWD has unreasonably high expectations that
Westlands will follow their financial and planning lead into the future.”

*Policy Analyst for Restore the Delta, Tim Stroshane said:*
“Westlands farmers and officials may already feel this way, but we wanted
to share with them how garbled WaterFix financing and planning has become
under MWD leadership. They are asked to decide on whether their next
farming generation should be loaded with huge WaterFix debt, and no clear
willingness to pay for it.”

To read Restore the Delta’s letter, click here
<http://restorethedelta.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=06887fa70084fef8e939fef63&id=343339f05d&e=2ca461c02c>.



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