[env-trinity] Trinity Journal: Twin tunnels fight roils on

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_948f20b4-5e2d-11e8-b892-df093db0ca1f.html
Twin tunnels fight roils on
   
   - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal
 - 1 hr ago
 The status of the twin tunnels project to pipe water from Northern California under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farms and cities to the south has been a moving target this past year.Major funding sources have been lost and then replaced. There’s been consideration of downsizing to one tunnel, but now it’s back to two.It’s “the zombie that will not die,” said Tom Stokely, salmon and water policy analyst for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the Institute for Fisheries Resources.The tunnels project — officially known as the California WaterFix — is Gov. Jerry Brown’s solution he touts to bring a more reliable water supply to farmers and cause less environmental harm. Pumping water through the Delta estuary has harmed fish species that can get sucked into the pumps or pulled in the wrong direction. This causes restrictions on the pumping.However, many fisheries organizations oppose the plan.Stokely, a former natural resources planner for Trinity County, would rather the proposed project never gets built. But if it does come to pass, the PCFFA wants protections in place.Stokely was part of a panel that testified in Sacramento before State Water Resources Control Board hearing officers last month regarding permit amendments required to change the point of diversion on the Sacramento River for the tunnels project. It’s one of many permits needed for the project to happen.Trinity River water is diverted by the Central Valley Project to the Sacramento River, and to get the permit change the agencies have to prove no unreasonable effects to fish, wildlife and other legal water users, Stokely said.The federal Bureau of Reclamation and state Department of Water Resources applied for the diversion permit change.Stokely said the panel he was on sought to show that there would be impacts to the Trinity River from the project, and if it goes forward mitigation measures need to be taken.The government’s position is there is no impact to the Trinity River or to storage at the reservoir, Trinity Lake, he said. “We don’t believe it.”Trinity Lake water storage has been helped by restrictions on pumping water through the Delta, said Stokely, who doubts claims by project proponents that water sent south will not increase.“They claim it’s not going to put any more water down south but I think the truth is something else,” he said. “Why would they spend money on it otherwise?”In his testimony, Stokely said Reclamation’s Trinity River water permits should be amended to conform with instream fishery flows contained in the Trinity River Record of Decision as minimum instream flows. Currently, those permits include a much lower amount than provided for in the Record of Decision.He also said the permits should provide for the release of Humboldt County’s 50,000 acre-feet contract water in addition to fishery flows and tribal ceremonial flows.He called for inclusion of terms and conditions to require Reclamation to comply with the Trinity River temperature objectives contained in the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region.Stokely said there must be a requirement for a minimum cold water storage in the Trinity reservoir adequate for fisheries in a multi-year drought. Based on studies to date, Stokely said, minimum pool of 1.25 million acre-feet to 1.75 million acre-feet carryover storage Sept. 30 should be goal, with storage never falling below 900,000 acre-feet.The $17 billion twin tunnels plan has had a rollercoaster of a trajectory this past year. The project is to be paid for by water agencies that receive the water; however, in September the board of Westlands Water District voted not to help foot the bill for the project.A phased-in approach was discussed to build one tunnel first and construct a second only if enough money became available.Since then the Santa Clara Valley Water District and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California agreed to pay large chunks of the project cost.There have also been many lawsuits filed seeking to stop the tunnels. However, there’s a rider on the Interior appropriations bill in the House to prohibit state or federal lawsuits against the final environmental impact report for the project and any resulting decision.The government isn’t likely to get through the litigation and get the water permit revisions before Gov. Brown leaves office, Stokely said.Much will depend on whether the next governor supports the plan, he added.State DWR Director Karla Nemeth has said final permitting for WaterFix is on the horizon, and “implementation is imminent.”   
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