MEETING NOTES: Kern districts discuss Bay-Delta Plan, El Niño “emergency”
Agenda packets:
Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District, October 13: CLICK HERE
Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District October 14: CLICK HERE
North Kern Water Storage District, October 20 : CLICK HERE
Kern districts concerned with proposed changes to Bay-Delta Plan
State consideration of an updated plan to manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, prompted concern at two Kern Water district meetings.
The state Water Resources Control Board will hold a hearing Oct. 28 on an update to the Bay-Delta Plan. The recommended update has been widely panned by both environmental groups and water districts.
Environmental groups say the plan doesn’t mandate enough water from the state’s rivers to flow through the delta.
And water districts that had participated in what became known as the Healthy River and Landscapes Program portion of the plan, say the state arbitrarily changed previously negotiated sections on flows and collaborative decision making.
Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District Water Resources Manager Trent Taylor informed the district board about those changes at its Oct. 13 meeting.
”It is not what was discussed with the groups in the delta, the water rights holders, the Bureau (of Reclamation), the state contractors,” he said, calling the changes “catastrophic” if approved by the Water Board.
He added the changes could jeopardize the proposed Sites Dam near Sacramento and the Delta Conveyance Program, a 36-foot diameter tunnel that would bring Sacramento River water 45 miles south beneath ecologically sensitive portions of the delta.
”This is going to be something that we need to be on alert for and hope that the state board does not adopt the plan that has been put out by staff and re-engages with the parties that were involved in the voluntary agreement,” Taylor said.
Rosedale General Manager Dan Bartel echoed Taylor’s frustration.
“The things that are important to the water community of California are getting pushed to the side and these other things are being pushed forward…to make it be perceived, like we are for the water community, but they’re not the things that California water interests are asking for.”
Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District General Manager Sheridan Nicholas said much the same thing during a discussion at that board’s meeting Oct. 14.
”Hopefully they (the Water Board) can come to their senses and make a decision that is appropriate for the situation,” stated Nicholas.
El Niño emergency
Governor Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration concerning heavy storms that the El Niño weather pattern may bring to California this winter was met with a bit of skepticism at Kern water district meetings.
“What is frustrating is we have a real state of emergency as it relates to the golden mussel problem, and they have yet to take action,” Rosedale-Rio Bravo’s Taylor told his board. “We have been begging for help with that and that has not come to fruition.”
North Kern Water Storage District board vice president Joel Ackerknecht asked if the emergency declaration would impact Kern River operations. Other board members asked if there was any risk or expected evacuations for communities around Lake Isabella.
Kern River Watermast Art Chianello said Kern River operations would not be affected by the Governor’s emergency declaration and there are no evacuation plans at this time.
