LOS ANGELES, CA, Nov. 4, 2009 -- Timothy F. Brick, chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, issued the following statement regarding the California Legislature's passage earlier today of an historic package of legislative reforms for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and statewide water management, along with an $11 billion water bond:
"This is a tremendous moment in California water history. The Legislature's approval of this sweeping, bipartisan overhaul of the state's water system reflects an unparalleled effort to move California into a new era of water reliability that will benefit the state's residents and economy for generations to come.
"The cornerstone of the comprehensive water package is restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem, which Metropolitan fully supports. The legislation carefully balances the need for Delta improvements with water supply reliability for the State Water Project. They go hand-in-hand.
"Governor Schwarzenegger, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, minority leaders Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth and Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee, and legislators on both sides of the aisle should be commended for their leadership in getting this historic legislation approved."
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
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