Benoit Special Alert: Why The Sacramento Delta Matters To Us

Throughout this week, while the Legislature is still currently in recess, I have been in the State Capitol participating in hearings and special sessions dedicated to addressing California’s water issues.

I wanted to share my commentary, printed in today’s Desert Sun, on why this debate is important to our community.  While this particular commentary applies to the Coachella Valley portion of the 37th Senate District, rest assured, this issue is of vital importance to Riverside County as a whole.  Watch for future commentaries discussing the impact in other parts of the District.

Please don’t hesitate to reply with questions or comments about water or any other legislative issue.  I value your feedback and thank you for personally taking the time to read and respond.  It is an honor to be your representative in the State Senate.

JOHN J. BENOIT
Senator, 37th Senate District

Why the Sacramento Delta matters to the future of the Coachella Valley
As printed in The Desert Sun today

What does the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, more than 450 miles away, have to do with the Coachella Valley? Why is a system of pumps and streams, carrying water that doesn't directly reach farms and taps out here so desperately needed in the desert?

In Southern California, about 30 percent of our water supply is channeled through the State Water Project, a 700-mile system of canals that convey water from the delta levee network. Although the Coachella Valley is not physically connected to the State Water Project, our region is its third largest contractor, behind only the massive Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and agriculture-rich Kern County.

At a joint hearing of the Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee and Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee

Much of California’s water comes from the rainfall and snowmelt in the northern part of the State while two-thirds of the water demand is for Southern California.  In 2007, a federal judge issued a ruling that reduced pumped water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a major source of Southern California’s water by up to a third to protect the tiny Delta smelt fish.  California is entering a potential fourth year of drought and solving the water supply problem is crucial to our communities.

Since delta water cannot literally be delivered here, the Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency have adopted a “bucket to bucket” exchange agreement, trading our State Water Project entitlements to Metropolitan for additional Colorado River water. This exchange has largely sustained the Coachella Valley aquifer, the provider of most of our drinking water since the 1960s.

Were it not for our aquifer, it would be physically impossible to inhabit our desert communities, much less supply the businesses that feed our economy. Because of California's reliance on imported water, and because our draw of Colorado River water will be capped by 2017, a resolution to the state's water crisis is imperative.

There are many issues that have contributed to the state's water problems. Some have arisen in the last few years, adding to a newfound sense of urgency. For instance, California is potentially entering into a fourth year of drought. Much of California's water comes from the rainfall and snowmelt in the northern part of the state. Dwindling snowpacks have also reduced our supply of naturally stored water.

In 2007, a federal judge issued a ruling that strictly limited how much water can be pumped from the delta in order to protect the tiny delta smelt fish. This action, and the federal government's corresponding intransigence, has crippled State Water Project conveyance, cutting delta pumping by a third. These conditions have combined to create a very real water crisis that has cost jobs, threatened the state's standing as the breadbasket of America, and has increased water costs and rationing for Californians.

Long-term concerns, including aging levee infrastructure and seismic vulnerability, currently subject the delta to catastrophic collapse from a large-magnitude earthquake or flood. A water system designed when Eisenhower was president is certainly inadequate to meet the demands of today's population of 38 million Californians.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a special session of the Legislature to consider responsible solutions to our water problems. Throughout the year, as a member of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, I have participated in hearings that have analyzed various plans to restore the delta ecosystem and revamp our antiquated infrastructure.

It is my hope and belief that, while the Senate and Assembly continue to negotiate water policy, we will produce a comprehensive plan that modernizes our water system to provide for our current demands and future growth. The well-being of families, businesses and farms in our region depends on a complete solution to this complex problem.