Court ruling to have sweeping water impacts

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today said court-ordered reductions in deliveries by the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project would have sweeping impacts across the state. "The scope of this decision will be felt in nearly every region of California, in some cases within a few weeks," ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn said. "These reductions represent the single largest court-ordered redirection of water in state history. It truly hammers home the...

Sept. 7, 2007

2 min read

• Cuts in deliveries loom in wake of court-ordered reduction in Delta pumping

SACRAMENTO, CA, Aug. 31, 2007 -- The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today said court-ordered reductions in deliveries by the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project would have sweeping impacts across the state.

"The scope of this decision will be felt in nearly every region of California, in some cases within a few weeks," ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn said. "These reductions represent the single largest court-ordered redirection of water in state history. It truly hammers home the serious challenges facing our statewide water system."

In a highly anticipated ruling today, U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ordered the two projects to reduce pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to protect a threatened fish species, the Delta smelt. The reduced pumping translates into a loss of as much as one-third or more of previously available water supplies -- or a cut of up to two million acre-feet.

Quinn said the cuts would affect jobs and productivity, especially in the hard-hit agricultural areas from San Joaquin Valley to San Diego. New development in urban areas also could feel the effects in the near term.

"This puts in vivid and real terms the deepening crisis we are seeing in the Delta. It's an ecological crisis and it's a water supply crisis. While many factors are affecting the ecosystem, this reinforces the fact that our Delta water infrastructure doesn't work for the environment or for the state's economy," Quinn said.

Wanger's decision compounds challenges already facing water suppliers this year due to dry conditions. Many agencies have been drawing on emergency or reserve supplies and asking their customers to voluntarily reduce water use. More stringent restrictions -- including rationing -- are expected as a result of the ruling, and the situation could be dire if dry conditions continue.

"If anyone needed a wake-up call, this is it," Quinn said. "We need to address fundamental problems in the Delta so we can better protect the environment and the water supplies so critical to our state."

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California.

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