Have we finally learned our lesson? Water in California is a finite resource, and we can’t build our way out of drought. Fortunately, more and more people are realizing this from the bogus promises the State Water proponents told us in 1991: The Promise that State Water would solve our local water demand problem; The Promise that State Water would be relatively cheap; The Promise that State Water was reliable, delivered on time and when needed.
Now, in 2016, we know from independent studies that the state promised more water than ever could be delivered. We know that water costs on the South Coast, rather than the low cost advertised in 1991, has been as much as $37,000 an acre-foot during this drought when so little was actually delivered. We know that when we need it most, it is not available in the amounts we contracted for, if available at all. Meanwhile many local water agencies are facing financial difficulties, as the fixed costs of State Water remain high while income from water sales to homes and businesses has declined due to conservation.
Now here comes Governor Brown to fix the problem. The “fix” is a proposal to build two massive, twin tunnels, 40 feet wide, 35 miles long, and buried 150 feet underground. They will divert Sacramento River water away from the Bay/Delta and directly into the canals and pipes that carry water to Southern California. How ironic that the governor calls these huge tunnels the “WaterFix” since the state has admitted there is no new water to put in these tunnels. What the tunnels will do is “more efficiently” move the water out of the Sacramento River by reducing the amount of fresh water that sustains the Bay/Delta. If the WaterFix goes through, it will irreparably harm the fisheries and ecosystem of the entire region by allowing pollutants, sediments, and salt-water intrusion into the area.