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San Joaquin River restoration approved in resources omnibus

Written by KELLY ZITO, San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Congress yesterday approved a $400 million restoration plan for a 63-mile stretch of California's San Joaquin River in an attempt to resolve a longstanding water rights dispute that pit farmers against fishers and environmentalists. The project will increase the flow of water through the river -- and decrease the amount held behind a dam near Fresno -- in an effort to restore decimated salmon populations. The plan was included in a public lands omnibus bill that Congress approved yesterday. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill. The plan would designate more than 2 million acres of public lands as wilderness in nine states and establish three new national park units, a new national monument, three new national conservation areas, more than 1,000 miles of national wild and scenic rivers, and four new national trails. It would enlarge the boundaries of more than a dozen existing national park units and establish 10 new national heritage areas (E&ENews PM, March 25). "After recent dry years and a collapsing salmon fishery, passage of this bill is good news for fisherman, farmers, and the more than 22 million Californians who rely on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for their water supply," said Monty Schmitt, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the plaintiffs in a successful 1980s lawsuit that mandated increased water flows. Farmers had initially opposed the deal, saying that releasing water into the river would cut irrigation supplies to the region, which employs thousands of people and produce millions of dollars worth of produce. But after it became clear that federal judges presiding over the lawsuit had the right to enact severe water cutbacks, farmers agreed to a settlement that they felt protected their interests. California will fund about $200 million of the project and federal funds will cover the rest. The restoration effort is expected to last about a decade. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 March 2009 )

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