Setback for Cal-Fed Plan

Re “Water: Back to the Table,” editorial, Jan. 4: Stakeholders in the Cal-Fed process have spent the last four years in attempts to achieve a consensus on a plan to improve the ecological health of the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento Delta region, in addition to improving the water management and quality of the system. And success was at hand. Cal-Fed had developed a plan that by all reasonable analysis proved to be technically the best. However, issues of water conservation, new water storage and conveyance facilities were raised. A phased approach was developed to ensure that these concerns were addressed and that all participants had reasons and incentives to stay with the project. Unfortunately, a formal agreement could not be achieved because some members of the environmental community were unyielding in their opposition to the construction of any new storage facilities.

Some mix of new storage is essential to the success of the Cal-Fed process and critical to managing California’s future water resources. Urban and agricultural water users have adopted a “new day is dawning” philosophy in how California manages its water resources. We have embraced the Cal-Fed plan and agreed to reasonable, cost-effective demand management and water recycling approaches. The business community has expressed its qualified support. The environmental community now needs to reject its intransigent attitudes toward storage. We are close to a solution. Success of the Cal-Fed process is critical to the economic stability and growth of our Southern California communities, as well as to meeting environmental goals.

JAMES A. NOYES, Chair

Public Outreach Task Force

So. Calif. Water Committee

Ontario