Tunneling under California's Bay Delta water wars

High Country News looks at the latest on the Delta with Jerry Brown's "I want to get shit done" press conference in July where he announced that he wanted not just one, but two tunnels under the Delta to transfer water downstate. Will it solve the problem of delivering enough water to farms and cities south of the Delta without destroying the fish population? It remains to be seen, and expect many more years of debate, lawsuits and rancor in California's most persistent water war.

Judge Assails Delta Smelt Scientists

Article from the New York Times about increasing criticism of scientists in the Interior Department, particularly two scientists involved with the Delta Smelt Biological Opinion.  Judge Oliver Wanger, who's  issued most of the crucial judicial opinions regarding the Delta and who is scheduled to retire next month, went after  two scientists in particular for their work on the Delta Smelt, reportedly calling them deceitful zealots.

Worth a read.

Two NYT articles on the Delta

The first covers the recent decision by Judge Wanger that criticizes the science work of the Fish and Wildlife Service. He calls for continued protection for the Delta Smelt but says the Biological Opinion is "arbitrary, capricious and unlawful." More court action and confusion sure to come.

The second tries to give the overall Delta situation a thorough analysis and turns out to be mostly confusing. It's a tough subject to cover in the typical newspaper length, especially because it is never ending.

Delta gates proposal builds support, but environmental impact remains murky

From Matt Weiser at the Bee:

"A plan to build gates across two Delta channels has strong support from state and federal leaders, though little is known about how the project would affect the environment.

The so-called "two gates" project would build moveable gates across Old River and Connection Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta."

Big backer is the Metro Water District of Southern California. More...

Delta water managers choosing salmon over smelt

It's no longer just farmers vs. fish, or Northern California vs. Southern California in the battle over water in the Delta. It is now a choice between species - a chilling thought to choose one fish for possible extinction over another - according to this piece in the Sacramento Bee.

Nature Conservancy Endorses Peripheral Canal

The endorsement shows the complexity of the arguments for and against the canal and is another indication that the upcoming political fight over water in California will include some untraditional alliances.

Here's the key quote from the Nature Conservancy: “If we don’t take steps to repair some of the Delta’s natural ecological functions, we have no hope of saving the species that depend on this delicate ecosystem,” said Mike Sweeney, executive director for The Nature Conservancy's California Program. “The Nature Conservancy’s analysis led us to the conclusion that, short of ending water exports from the Delta, a peripheral canal is an essential component to restoring the conditions that Delta species need to survive.”


Also, here's the argument against shutting down the pumps to protect the endangered Delta Smelt.