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CSPA Alert - 11/11/05
Delta Under Siege
The Bush and Schwarzenegger administrations have announced they intend to
pump more water from the Delta by building the “South Delta Improvement
Project” to reconfigure Delta channels to enable increase exports from 6,500
to 8,500 cfs. Current exports from the Delta send 60% of the fresh water
south.
They have issued an environmental impact report and announced a series of
meetings for public comment. Their action clearly flies in the face of
statements made by state and federal scientists who announced this summer
that the estuary’s prolonged decline was verging on collapse. Those species
in immediate jeopardy included striped bass, longfin smelt and Delta smelt.
The Delta smelt is listed under the Endangered Species Act and is facing
extinction. A number of other species that inhabit the lower food-web were
at their lowest levels in history and the ecosystem that fuels the estuary’s
web of life was experiencing such low productivity that collapse appeared
imminent.
It is hard to imagine why the scientific evidence that existing pumping
operations are one of the main causes of the catastrophic decline of the
Delta fisheries are not receiving appropriate consideration! But since the
increased pumping would directly benefit the corporate agribusiness sector
at the expense of the public’s fishery resources and the sport and
commercial fishing industries that depend on these resources, we suspect
politics is the motivating factor.
If you consider that the Department of Water Resource’s recently released
update to the State Water Plan shows there are more cost effective and
environmentally beneficial ways to meet California’s current and future
water needs, then like us you might wonder “Why put the estuary at greater
risk?”
Although the Schwarzenegger administration claims that they are deferring a
decision on the increased pumping, their just released EIR makes it clear
that one of the main purposes of the project is to “increase water
deliveries by increasing the maximum diversion to 8,500 cubic feet per
second.” Once the EIR is adopted, it would allow them to approve the
increased pumping by only filing a “supplemental document” when they find
the timing right. If spend the money to build it, then they will use it.
Taking Action
There are two immediate actions you can take to helps us try to save on of
the worlds great estuaries. Contact your state legislators and the Governor
and tell them you want to see the estuary and its fisheries restored as the
government promised before any additional export is considered. As them to
stop DWR’s SDIP dead in its tracks!
You can email the Governor by going to
http://www.govmail.ca.gov where you can fill out the email form and send
it to the Governor's office. Or you can send a letter or card to him at:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Send a simple message asking the Governor to stop the Department of Water
Resource’s plans to implement the South Delta Improvement Project and the
export of any additional water out of Delta until our estuary and its
fisheries are restored.
You can mention that DWR’s recently released Bulletin 160 demonstrates that
the state's water needs will be met for at least the next decade with the
existing water infrastructure. There is no water crisis to justify the
destruction of the Delta!
To contact your state legislators, go to
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/ and then
click on the blue rectangle that says “Your Legislature”. A window will open
that requests your zip code. Put it in the widow and click on “search”. Your
Assembly Member and State Senator should come up with their contact
information. If you want to contract them by email, you will have to find
their “Home Page”. So go back to the previous page, click on “Home Page” and
then find your legislator on the page that comes up. If you would like to
send a more detailed letter to the Governor, or you legislators, a sample
letter follows:
date
xxx
Dear:
I am writing to urge you to stop the efforts by the Department of Water
Resources to increase the export of fresh water out of the Delta. Given the
ecological value of the Delta as a public resource which meets a variety of
water needs, the government’s long overdue promise to restore the estuary
and our fishery resources needs to be accomplished before considering
additional exports of its waters. The future of the Bay-Delta estuary and
its vitally important public fishery resources is at stake.
As you may know some 60% of the fresh water that flows into the Delta is
exported out of the system for agricultural (85%) and urban consumption
(15%). Over the past several months agency scientists have confirmed that
the estuary’s capacity to produce the food-web that sustains critical
populations of fish and wildlife had collapsed to a record low!
Given the fact that DWR’s recently released Bulletin 160 demonstrates that
the state’s water needs will be met for at least the next decade with the
existing water infrastructure, I believe your leadership is needed to halt
the South Delta Improvement Project, until the estuary and its fisheries are
restored.
Sincerely,
(Your name and address)
*************************************************************
It is time to raise our collective voice. The estuary future is at stake!
John Beuttler
CSPA Conservation Director
To contact CSPA for further information, send your email to: Jbeuttler @aol.com
or call us at 510-526-4049
CSPA is a non-profit - public benefit organization dedicated to restoring
fisheries and their habitat. We engage in variety of aquatic ecological
issues to ensure our fisheries have habitat they need to become self
sustaining and stay that way. You can support our conservation efforts by
becoming a member. Donations are tax-deductible, greatly needed and most
appreciated. Send checks to CSPA at 1360 Neilson Street, Berkeley, CA
94702-1116. Membership starts a $25. If you are a member, then you know of
the good work we do, so sign up a friend and help us restore our fisheries! |
