Now we learn that Federal officials as of 4-17-13 have again cut scheduled Friant Class One Water Deliveries to 50% for the Friant Water System that supplies Water to 15,000 Valley Eastside Growers. Federal Officials are flushing 170,000 acre feet of Friant Water down River for environmental purposes.
Other Central Valley Water Districts have also seen their Water allocations cut again while, as of April 14, 2013, all the main Northern California Water Storage Reservoirs that store water for 25 Million Southern California Residents and Central Valley Farms are currently storing between 97-108% of their historical water average. With resevoirs at 97-108% of average Federal officials CUT water deliveries 65-80% to the valley farms and water districts who every year pay for the State water delivery system and the Dams that store their contracted water.
The San Luis Los Banos Reservoir, that stores water for 25 million Southern California residents & Central Valley farms south of the delta, SHOULD have filled with the heavy rains and flood flows in November and December 2012 . Instead of delivering our water, our Valley water was flushed to the ocean.
Thanks to Politicians refusal to fix their unbalanced environmental laws, California's urban residents & farms contracted to receive State Water have again paid for 100% of their Contracted Water while this year only receiving 35%.
Congressman Devin Nunes with Bi-Partisan support from Redding to San Diego last year Passed Water Legislation, HR-1837, that would have restored reliable water deliveries.
Unfortunately H.R. 1837, the “Restore Reliable Water Legislation” was killed when California U.S. Senators Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Governor Brown, President Obama, California State Farm Bureau, Friant Water Authority, various Friant Water District Boards, the Latino Water Coalition, Nisei Farmers League and other self-serving groups joined Liberal Bay Area Environmentalist in refusing to support H.R. 1837, the Bipartisan common sense water solution.
These Politicians and those who refused to support HR-1837 are directly responsible for the Job Killing 50% Friant Water cuts, 80% cuts in water deliveries South of the Delta Central Valley Project and 65% Cuts in State Water Project water deliveries to 25 million California residents & Central Valley Farms who AGAIN will Pay for 100% of their Contracted Water in advance while only receiving 35% of the water they have already paid for.
The California State Water Project System total water allocation is 4,116,111 acre feet of water. The State Water System is contracted to deliver 2,966,111 acre feet of water to Northern & Southern California Cities. Central Valley Farms are only contracted to receive 1,150,000 acre feet of State Project water.
72% +/- of the State Water Systems 4,116,111 acre feet of contracted water is contracted for delivery to urban residents and ONLY 28% +/-, 1,150,000 acre feet of water, is currently contracted for delivery to Central Valley Farms.
When contracted water deliveries are cut it costs 25 Million Southern California Residents and Farms Billions of Dollars, resulting in Higher Food Cost and Higher Water Cost.
Most of the Central Valleys CVP & State Water system water originates in the 8 station Northern California water shed area and is stored behind Dams we are paying for North of Sacramento. As of April 14, 2013, the 8-station Northern California rainfall water shed index has recorded 41.0 inches of precipitation, representing 94% of the typical average rainfall to date. The average total rainfall for the normal season is 50.0 inches.
Given the close to normal precipitation in Northern California this year and main Northern California Reservoirs we are paying for are at normal water storage levels, it is outrageous that water allocations for South of the Delta CVP Farm Water District allocations have been reduced from the original devastatingly low 25% to 20% and outrageous that the State Water Project allocation was CUT from 40% to 35%.
If you are concerned about restoring Jobs and reliable water deliveries to the Central Valley and Southern California I encourage you to call and question the politicians and members of the organizations like California State Farm Bureau, Friant Water Authority, various Friant Water District Boards, the Latino Water Coalition, Nisei Farmers League and others who by not supporting the common sense Congressional water solution H.R. 1837 are responsible for our continuing water Crisis.
Russ Waymire
