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| An aerial view of San Francisco Bay and its fragile delta areas. Credit: US Geological Survey |
The plan to build 30-mile-long tunnels in the freshwater San Francisco Bay Delta is back for a vote by L.A.'s regional water officials. The California WaterFix, as it is known, is a disastrous attempt to bring more water to drought-plagued California -- and stick rate-payers with the costly bill.
Why should Southern Californians care about the Bay-Delta project? For one thing the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, or MWD, will re-vote to fund this project on July 10. The vote is taking place again because the agency's first vote in April was found to be in violation of the Brown Act, which bans secret meetings that may be used to coerce and count votes before a public meeting. In the first vote, the agency initially favored financing a single tunnel but in a back room deal decided to fund two tunnels. The MWD's approval would bring credibility and money to the plan.
The vote for the tunnels came over the objections of Los Angeles and San Diego. The California Department of Water Resources has proposed to build the tunnels at a cost of about $47 billion, when inflation is taken into account. The tunnels would move 9,000 cubic feet of water per second from the Sacramento River system north of the Delta to points south of the Delta. Environmental impact documentation has revealed that the tunnels would have negative effects on fish, wildlife and water quality in what is the largest estuary on the West Coast.
Recently the U.S. Congress has gotten into the act too. Ken Calvert, a Republican Congressman from Riverside County and chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Interior Department, introduced a bill with a rider that would prohibit state or federal suits against the final environmental impact report for the Bay Delta Tunnels. California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris have both said they will vote no if this goes to the Senate.
The Delta Tunnels are estimated to cost SoCal residents from about $2000 to $10,000 a household per year. Yet our local governments are planning on importing less water. So why should Californians pay for water they plan on using less of when there are much better alternatives?
Sierra Club supports a common sense approach to water conservation. The state can meet its water demands sustainably and reliably by focusing investments on recycling, conservation, water efficiency, storm-water capture and better ground water management for urban and agricultural users. If Californians are forced to pay billions for this project, cities won't be able to make local investments capable of producing new and reliable water sources for future generations. For example, federally mandated storm-water projects, which most cities can scarce afford on their own.
The Club also wants to protect the delta's ecosystem, which has dramatically declined because of excessive water diversions, introduction of nonnative invasive species, and water pollution. This project would be one more intrusion.
Check out this Sierra Club study (at right) that provides viable alternatives for the state's water future.
What you can do right now
Take action today and support Sierra Club by writing, emailing and/or calling your local mayor/city councilperson and water agency board members. Ask them to vote NO on any measure to approve and finance the San Francisco Bay Delta Tunnels.
Below you'll find a sample letter. Click here to find a comprehensive list of mayors/city council members in Southern California as well as water district board members and leaders. Make sure you send your letter to the right person in your district.
Sample letter
Dear ______,
RE: Oppose Funding of San Francisco Bay Delta Tunnels, aka, the California WaterFix
I am a resident of _____________ and I am writing to express my strong opposition to my water rates being used to pay for the Delta Tunnels (CA WaterFix). This proposal would force us the rate payer to subsidize the tunnels with no guarantee of new water in the face of earthquakes and climate change. It would hurt thousands of low income families and destroy the native habitat which Native Americans use to make a living. It is unconscionable to throw away money on these tunnels instead of investing in local sustainable water supplies. You should focus on fixing aging, leaking pipes, water conservation and education, water recycling, stormwater capture and groundwater cleanup and replenishment as mandated by the Clean Water Act. These investments would increase local green jobs, improve the economy of our city and make us more water independent.
I strongly urge you to vote NO to protect our communities from unfair rate hikes and OPPOSE any funding for this project at Metropolitan Water District.
Sincerely,