[env-trinity] Updated: Westlands Water District Votes No on Delta Tunnels Project! Westlands, Secretary John Laird comments included

[Dan Bacher]

Good Afternoon

Here's an updated article on the Westlands decision to reject the  
Delta Tunnels project, with today's statement from Westlands and  
yesterday's comment from John Laird included.

Dan


https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/19/1699905/-Westlands-Water-District-Votes-No-on-Delta-Tunnels-Project

Map of Westlands Water District courtesy of WWD.



Westlands Water District Votes No on Delta Tunnels Project!

by Dan Bacher
In a major victory for Delta Tunnels opponents, the Board of Directors  
of the Westlands Water District on September 19 voted 7 to 1 against  
their participation in Governor Jerry Brown’s California WaterFix  
project.

Growers in the massive district, located on the west side of the San  
Joaquin Valley, cited the high cost of the state-federal proposal as  
their reason for rejecting the project. Politically powerful Westlands  
is the largest irrigation district in the country.

The district would be one of the key beneficiaries of the proposed 35- 
mile long twin tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — and  
their rejection of the project is a major loss for the Brown  
administration’s campaign to fast-track the construction of the  
tunnels. It also sends a message to other water districts that the  
cost of the controversial plan is not worth the potential benefits.

The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California board is  
slated to  vote on the tunnels in early October, but the Westlands  
vote delivers a major blow to the project.

“Westlands’ decision to not participate in the California WaterFix  
will make it very difficult for other agencies to participate,” Tom  
Birmingham, the General Manager of Westlands, told the Los Angeles  
Times.

In a statement issued the day after the meeting, the district said  
they rejected the California WaterFix because the project is “not  
financially viable” from their perspective:

“The District appreciates the efforts of Governor Jerry Brown and his  
administration to balance the interests of many. Indeed, over the last  
twelve months the State administration worked diligently to define a  
viable project, but from Westlands' perspective, the project is not  
financially viable.”

Westlands' principal source of water is the Central Valley Project, a  
project operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The CVP  
is integrated both operationally and financially. However, under the  
‘participation approach’announced by Reclamation for CWF, only CVP  
contractors that chose to participate in CWF would pay the costs of  
constructing and operating new facilities, with no assurance that  
those contractors would receive the water supply benefits resulting  
from CWF.

Westlands supported the development of CWF and has invested  
considerable financial resources, time, and expertise into its  
planning, but consistently stated that it would not obligate the  
farmers it serves to billions of dollars in debt without reasonable  
assurances that the project would produce reliable, affordable water  
supplies. The District recognizes that solving Delta conveyance issues  
is critical to ensuring reliable water supplies to support the economy  
of the State, but it cannot support a project that would make water  
supplies for its farmers unaffordable.”

Delta Tunnels opponents are very pleased with the Westlands decision.

"Today is a very good day for California,” said Barbara Barrigan- 
Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, in a statement. “By  
rejecting California WaterFix, the Westlands Water District has dealt  
a blow to the project. There are many better solutions for creating a  
sustainable water supply in California.”

She noted that Metropolitan Water District's math used to justify the  
construction of the project is based on a “sizable contribution from  
Westlands,” as is the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s math.

“They now have to come up with a lot more money for the Delta  
Tunnels,” Barrigan-Parrilla stated. “It won't pencil out for them  
either.”

The Brown administration tried to downplay the significance of the  
Westlands decision.

“There is one thing on which everyone agrees: Our aging infrastructure  
needs to be modernized,” said California Natural Resources Secretary  
John Laird in a statement. “Failing to act puts future water supply  
reliability at risk. This vote, while disappointing, in no way signals  
the end of WaterFix.”

The Westlands vote against the tunnels is not the only victory in the  
campaign to stop the project on the same day. The Los Angeles City  
Council Energy and Environmental Committee also voted no for the Delta  
Tunnels project -- “until the project is fully financed and  
Metropolitan Water District meets all their considerations,” according  
to RTD.

On September 18, over 40 ratepayers drew significant media attention  
by holding a No Tunnels, No Water Rate Hike rally in front of Los  
Angeles City Hall.

Rally and meeting participants included representatives of Food &  
Water Watch, Consumer Watchdog, Union de Vecinos, Restore the Delta,  
Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Concerned Citizens of Compton, Southern  
California Watershed Alliance, Sierra Club Angeles Water Committee,  
March and Rally-LA, People Organized for Westside Renewal (POWER), and  
Ground Game LA, neighborhood council leaders and faith leaders.

“The Delta Tunnels would raise water rates and property taxes in Los  
Angeles, costing ratepayers a total of $2.5 to $4 billion,” said  
Brenna Norton of Food and Water Watch. “These massive tunnels would  
change the way water is diverted from the Bay Delta and would send  
additional water to corporate agribusinesses in the Central Valley,  
while Southern California ratepayers pay more for no additional water.”

Norton said the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has endorsed  
this rate hike, which would be imposed by the Metropolitan Water  
District, even though it plans to reduce water imports from the Delta.

Also on Tuesday, the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose  
voted to pass a "no regrets package" planning $100 million for 9  
different projects like stormwater capture, leak repair and gray  
water, RTD stated.

Delta Tunnels opponents are urging people to show up for their public  
meeting on September 26th to tell them to vote no on the project.

On Monday, the Associated Press revealed that "dozens of water  
agencies and millions of families and farmers would be on the hook”  
for building the Delta Tunnels. AP obtained new documents from  
Westlands — and confirmed the expanded funding demands in phone and  
email interviews with state and local water officials: https://apnews.com/712b5954fa3a4b4e9494cbbadefa6575/APNewsBreak:-Millions-of-Californians-on-hook-for-water-plan

Also on Monday, the California Indian Water Commission joined three  
environmental groups — the California Water Impact Network,  
AquAlliance and California Sportfishing Protection Alliance — in  
filing a legal challenge to the financing of the Delta Tunnels.

A recent landmark 9th Circuit ruling that federally reserved Indian  
water rights have precedent over all state and federal water rights  
puts a new twist on how much water there really will be available for  
the tunnels or any other project — and could put a big wrench in state  
and federal plants to build the massive 35 mile long tunnels under the  
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

“The California Indian Water Commission's involvement in this filing  
is about upholding traditional indigenous responsibilities to the  
lands and waters of California," said Don Hankins, President of the  
federally recognized CIWC. "With this filing, we affirm our commitment  
to future generations through protection of the lands and waters of  
this state, and the associated organisms, which we also maintain  
obligations to."

For more information, go to: www.indybay.org/...
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