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OPINION: Must Stop the Twin-Tunnels Water Boondoggle

Two federal agencies’ decision last week to green-light construction of Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta twin-tunnels plan is an unwelcome setback for opponents of the project. But it’s not the huge milestone that proponents claim. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opinion merely said that building the tunnels “doesn’t deepen any harm” to several endangered species. “Deepen” is the key here. In effect, they’re saying that the impact of taking too much water out of the Delta in recent years has been so detrimental that building the tunnels won’t make much difference.

Groups File First Legal Challenges In Delta Tunnels Fight

A coalition of environmental and fishing groups on Thursday filed the first of what are expected to be many lawsuits challenging Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17.1 billion plan to build two massive water tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The suits, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, come four days after two federal agencies said the controversial project can coexist with endangered Delta fish.

Snow And Rain Tug On Earthquake Faults In California

Winter weather brings seismic tremors. A new study reveals how water buildup and runoff throughout the year can increase stress along faults in California, triggering small earthquakes. “This kind of observation is extremely important to constrain our models of earthquakes,” says Jean-Philippe Avouac, a geologist at Caltech who was not involved in the study. Improved models could ultimately help scientists better forecast seismic activity. Snow and rain compress mountain ranges in Northern California several millimeters during wet winter months. But with the weight of the water gone during the dry summers, the landscape lifts back up.

Costly Approval Doesn’t Guarantee The Governor’s Delta Tunnels

Federal wildlife officials gave the first approval last week to Gov. Jerry Brown’s decade-old plan to re-engineer California’s water system by building twin tunnels to ship water around the delta to cities and farms. It’s a regrettable step in a long, costly and politically charged approval process with an uncertain outcome. It doesn’t make sense to spend $17 billion to move water instead of investing in water saving and reuse. Within 72 hours, environmental groups and fishing interests sued, saying the agencies are failing to protect native salmon and allowing the river to degrade further.

BLOG: More on the Delta Tunnels JPA

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California today released the first of three “white papers” on the Delta tunnels, which are supposed to inform MWD board members as the district moves toward a September vote on the project. Most of what’s in there has been reported previously. But here are a few things I found interesting: The JPA. It has already been reported that the state Department of Water Resources and the water contractors were considering forming a joint powers authority to oversee construction.

What’s Next In The Delta Tunnels Fight?

What’s next for the opponents of the governor’s proposed Delta water tunnels? Some people think the passing grade from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service findings that there would be “no jeopardy” in the project’s biological opinion for species was a huge setback. This finding is a major green light leading to the beginning of construction of the highly controversial three story high 40’ diameter twin tunnels that would go 150 feet underground for 35 miles from Hood to Tracy to drain much of the Sacramento River before it could flow into the California Delta.

BLOG: As Gov. Jerry Brown Nears Retirement, His Two Big Public Works Projects Remain Iffy

The water tunnels would more or less complete the state water system that was the most visible accomplishment of Brown’s father and gubernatorial predecessor, Pat Brown. The tunnels got a boost last week when two federal wildlife agencies concluded that they wouldn’t worsen the Delta’s already damage habitat. However that’s just one of the many regulatory hurdles for WaterFix, as it’s officially dubbed, the most important being an incredibly complex evaluation by the state Water Resources Control Board of its impacts.

Can California Fish Catch Break With Giant Tunnels? Depends

Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to route much of California’s mightiest river into two massive tunnels poses new perils for salmon and other struggling native species, but could give them a couple of breaks as well, experts and project supporters and opponents say in the wake of two newly issued wildlife rulings on the $16 billion project.

 

Can Imperiled Fish Catch Break with Giant Delta Tunnels? Depends

Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to route much of California’s mightiest river into two massive tunnels poses new perils for salmon and other struggling native species, but could give them a couple of breaks as well, experts and project supporters and opponents say in the wake of two newly issued wildlife rulings on the $16 billion project.

State Results Show High Levels Of Lead In Water At Various Schools

Lab results show unusually high levels of lead were found at several schools in San Diego County during the school year, according to documents obtained Friday by NBC 7. Results for San Diego County from the State Water Resources Control Board show one sample recorded lead at three times the levels acceptable by the state. As schools test for lead in their drinking water, they are required by the state to fix problems if they discover lead in water at levels greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb).