From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.
From: Editorial, Chico Enterprise-Record
Coalition response…The judge’s decision has nothing to do with north state or south state water “desires.” There are quantities set aside for both under federal law. What is in question is whether or not the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation can take more water than the law provides. Reclamation had more than 400,000 acre-feet of water, enough to farm about 160,000 acres or to meet the daily needs of 800,000 families, to use for fishery protection this year. Rather than properly plan to legally provide supplemental flows to minimize the effect of diseases that exist on the Klamath River on an expected near historic number of salmon returning to spawn, they choose instead to try and take this water from other legal uses including protection of endangered species, management of waterfowl, clean power generation, recreation, industry, daily human needs, and, yes, farming. Regarding the question of what the judge’s ruling means for the future, northern California residents should take comfort from a decision to not allow an illegal infringement upon water rights to occur.
