The State : River Preservation Urged
Rep. Richard Lehman (D-Calif.) introduced a bill in the House to designate 93 miles of the King’s River as part of the nation’s Wild and Scenic River System. The legislation is designed to stop a proposed dam that would provide electric power and irrigation to the South Central Valley. It would protect the river running from the Pine Flat Reservoir, 30 miles northeast of Fresno, east through the Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks. Lehman contends the dam would flood the King’s River Canyon and be of only marginal value. Opposing Lehman’s bill is Rep. Charles Pashayan Jr. (R-Calif.), who maintains the dam is necessary to meet electricity needs of the 1.1 million area residents.
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