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Brown’s Delta Tunnels Get $650 Million Boost From Bay Area Water Agency

A Bay Area water agency agreed Tuesday to pump $650 million into Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels project, providing a meaningful boost for the controversial $16.7 billion plan. The 4-3 vote by the Santa Clara Valley Water District brings the tunnels project, which would overhaul the troubled heart of California’s aging water delivery network, a step closer to being fully funded. Just a few months ago the project, officially known as California WaterFix, was sputtering for a lack of funds.

Silicon Valley Water Board Says Yes To Delta Tunnels

Silicon Valley’s water district narrowly approved participating in a massive and pricey California water project, including contributing $650 million to help pay for it. The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board voted 4-3 to join the Joint Powers Authority that will oversee the design, construction and financing of Governor Jerry Brown’s approximately $17 million project that will use massive tunnels to siphon water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for use in drier regions in Southern California. “If we are not engaged on these issues, the balance of power will tip to the south,” said board member Tony Estremera during the meeting.

State Has ‘March Miracle’ In Water Conservation

There may not have been a “March Miracle” when it came to the snowpack in the state, but there was sure one when it came to water conservation. The State Water Resources Control reported that in March urban Californians used 24.8 percent less water than in March 2013, the benchmark year considered to be before the drought. That’s a dramatic turnaround from conservation numbers that have been dropping fairly steadily since June 2016, culminating in February with the state using more water than during the same month in 2013.