Tag "Bay Delta Conservation Plan"

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Bay Delta Plan could wipe out farmland values

  Along with the rains finally drenching California in recent days have come clouds over Gov. Jerry Brown’s Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Published on the website of state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, a new report by the California Debt Advisory Commission

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Hydrowonk makes 2014 predictions for Bay Delta plan

Rodney T. Smith, PhD, is a consulting economist in Claremont for Stratecon, Inc.  Smith also runs a unique blog called Hydrowonk.  One of Smith’s side businesses is a new venture with Inkling Markets called Stratecon Water Policy Markets. It brings

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Delta’s ‘Cadillac Desert’ image blown out of the water

  Probably the most mentally riveting figure of speech in the history of California nature writing has been the book, “Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water,” by the late Marc Reisner.  Part of the book was about

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Is federal intervention the only way to build a Delta tunnel?

  Like the 1930’s state water plan, California is stymied in its plan to re-engineer the Sacramento Delta for a massive water project.  The plan includes building a water superhighway interchange that would allow fresh water to run into the

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Legitimacy, not consensus, is key to Delta modernization

May 3, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi Do we care whether there is a consensus about what to do with the so-called natural resources of the Sacramento Delta among scientists and interest group “stakeholders” in California?  The Public Policy Institute of

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CA Delta water war being won by legitimacy, not money

April 30, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi The most memorable proverb about California water is: “Water runs uphill towards money.” But water doesn’t flow uphill towards money only.  If it did, Southern California — which has two-thirds of the state population —

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Trust not enough to solve CA water problems

April 18, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi Those who want to settle the water wars over the Sacramento Delta by first restoring “trust” rather than implementing the adopted law of the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan should take the advice of comedian W.C.

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Both sides in water war need smelt to provoke compromise

Feb. 27, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi You probably read the news headlines this past month on the Delta smelt fish with curiosity about what was really going on: * “Delta water diversions reduced to protect smelt” — Feb. 11; * “Once again, water

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‘New’ Delta plan rehashes old plans from 1950s and 70s

Jan. 24, 2013 by Wayne Lusvardi Just as Hollywood often remakes old movies, water engineers apparently rehash old forgotten plans to refashion the Sacramento Delta.  And then the proponents call these plans “new” and “cheaper” alternatives. Water engineer Robert Pyke

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Politics clogs solutions to Delta water problems

Sept. 25, 2012 By Wayne Lusvardi Members of “Restore the Delta” have recently accused Gov. Jerry Brown of telling a “whopper” that fixing levees in the Sacramento Delta is not feasible. Brown’s accusers are: Robert Pike and Barbara-Barrigan Parilla.  Pike

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