ACWA urges action on water bond package

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today urged lawmakers to approve a comprehensive water bond package to improve water conveyance in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, expand statewide water storage capacity and invest in conservation and other strategies. The package is currently contained in legislation introduced by Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) and Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine). ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn joined proponents...

Oct. 5, 2007

2 min read

• Comprehensive plan must include storage, delta conveyance improvements

SACRAMENTO, CA, Oct. 4, 2007 -- The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today urged lawmakers to approve a comprehensive water bond package to improve water conveyance in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, expand statewide water storage capacity and invest in conservation and other strategies. The package is currently contained in legislation introduced by Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) and Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine).

ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn joined proponents of a comprehensive package at a Capitol news conference and called on legislators to move forward with a bipartisan bill that will meet the needs of the environment and the economy.

"There has never been a more urgent time to invest in our water future," Quinn said. "Our water system is in crisis, and that crisis will not end when it rains. The ecological and economic consequences of inaction are staggering, and they will only worsen until something is done."

Quinn noted that a recent ruling in U.S. District Court underscored the fact that California's water system is physically incapable of delivering water to the economy without harming the environment. A separate case now under way in the same court reinforces the fact that our system needs more surface water storage capacity to provide colder water and increased flows for salmon and other species. Climate change and the specter of multi-year droughts and more severe floods add to the urgency.

"It's been a generation since we invested in our backbone water infrastructure on the scale needed," Quinn said. "Governor Schwarzenegger has wisely proposed a comprehensive package of investments to make sure our water system works for our environment and our economy for the next several generations. Given what's at stake, we can't afford to lose this opportunity."

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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