The Fresno Bee editorial “Temperance Flat is linchpin of Valley’s water future” omitted critical facts about this project, including how much water it will reliably produce, who will actually benefit from that water, and how much it will really cost. The reality is that this dam will never produce as much water as promised and it will only be built if state and federal taxpayers are saddled with the lion’s share of its multibillion-dollar price tag.

 

There are many reasons to be skeptical about a federal water bill that is sitting on President Barack Obama’s desk, but the biggest reason is this: We don’t trust a bunch of politicians to solve such a complex problem. Congress appears willing to sacrifice a few types of fish so that farmers can continue to grow food in a seasonal desert. That’s what happens when decisions are made by people more interested in the next election than science. People vote. Fish do not. Guess who wins?

 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife declared Pyramid Lake in Southern California infested with quagga mussels. The announcement came after indications of the invasive species were discovered in a Los Angeles tunnel. The finding marks the first time quagga mussels have been found in the State Water Project. Thus far education and enforcement efforts have kept the mussel from critical lakes, including Clear Lake. The quagga mussel is a small, non-native freshwater mollusk that the Department of Water Resources (DWR) had successfully prevented from infesting the State Water Project (SWP) since the species was first discovered in California in 2007.