ACWA: Current infrastructure unable to support economy, environment

Appearing at a press conference with Schwarzenegger Administration officials and others, Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn outlined dire conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and consequences of a recent court ruling that will reduce water deliveries by as much as one-third. U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger on Aug. 31 ordered the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project to reduce pumping in the Delta to protect a...

Sept. 11, 2007

2 min read

SACRAMENTO, CA, Sept. 7, 2007 -- Appearing at a press conference with Schwarzenegger Administration officials and others, Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn outlined dire conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and consequences of a recent court ruling that will reduce water deliveries by as much as one-third.

U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger on Aug. 31 ordered the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project to reduce pumping in the Delta to protect a threatened fish species, the Delta smelt. The reduced pumping translates into an average loss of as much as one-third of previously available water supplies -- or a cut of up to 2 million acre-feet, depending on year type. During wet years, losses would be greater.

Quinn issued the following statement:

"California has a fundamental infrastructure problem that threatens the environment and our economy. This situation will not be resolved until we address the Delta's physical problems in a way that meets the needs of the environment and the economy. At present, this is not possible.

"ACWA is supportive of efforts to protect the environment. But with existing infrastructure in the Delta, it is not possible to both restore the environment and protect the economy. It simply extracts too high of a cost until we fix the infrastructure system.

"This ruling takes away more than just acre-feet of water. It takes away the water management toolbox we've created over the past 20 years through public investment in everything from local water storage to water transfers. All of these are at risk.

"We are now forced to rely on stored water supplies that are our insurance against the next drought. To put this into perspective -- the San Luis Reservoir is at 20% capacity right now. If we must cut deliveries through the Delta, then we will need more surface storage facilities to meet demand.

"California has a decision to make -- we either brace ourselves for long-term cuts that threaten our economy and our very way of way of life, or we invest in a solution to fix the Delta and expand our water toolbox so we can meet future challenges head-on."

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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