Guest Editorial: State’s proposals will help preserve Delta’s health

This editorial is from the San Jose Mercury News:

The State Water Resources Control Board just provided a voice of sanity to California's water wars. The board, which oversees California's water rights issues, recommended significant increases in the water flowing through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in order to preserve its long-term health.

Whew. What a relief.

It's a welcome departure from Southern California and the Trump administration's non-stop efforts to send more water south at the expense of the Delta's water quality and eco-system.

The July 6 recommendation also raises new, substantial questions about the viability of Gov. Jerry Brown's misguided, $17 billion twin- tunnel proposal. The governor's so-called WaterFix is dependent on increased water flows from the Delta to Southern California. It won't pencil out if the state water board follows through on its recommendation.

Ratepayers for two of the major water districts backing the project - the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California - should demand that the districts rethink their financial support for the twin tunnels in favor of more cost-effective alternatives.

Mercury News editorials have repeatedly pointed out that every peer-reviewed scientific study of the Delta for the past decade has concluded that the only way to protect the Delta's long-term health is to pour more water - not less - through what is the largest estuary in the United States west of the Mississippi.

Critics love to portray proponents of protecting the Delta as environmental zealots who put the needs of fish before people. It's a bogus argument. The dwindling numbers of Delta smelt are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the Delta's health. When the water flow is reduced, conditions for migrating fish deteriorate. But even more important, salts and pollution don't get diluted to the same degree, increasing the salinity of the water. Continuing along this path will eventually do great harm to the quality of water that Bay Area residents too often take for granted.

The governor and WaterFix proponents also argue that no better alternatives exist for creating a more reliable water supply. It's not true.

The state can take a small portion of that $17 billion it wants ratepayers to spend on the twin tunnels and instead invest in greater recycling and conservation efforts. California could benefit by helping farmers convert to more efficient irrigation systems and rewarding them for switching to crops that demand less water. The state can also continue to recharge groundwater and increase storage by expanding reservoirs where it's environmentally and fiscally feasible.

The State Water Resources Control Board is demonstrating political courage by standing up to the governor and Southern California's push for the Delta tunnels. Californians should support it by calling for a cheaper, simpler approach to providing the state with a more reliable water supply.

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