From News Line, a daily compilation of farm water news distributed to CFWC members and others upon request. To receive News Line, click here.

Who will pay for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel project?

Coalition response…This article is full of speculation that results from water officials and agencies doing their jobs by investigating multiple alternatives. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and its proposed tunnels has been seven years in the development process to create a reliable supply of water for 25 million Californians, many of them in Southern California, and 3 million acres of farmland. Farmers use the water that flows through the Delta to grow a food supply that fills the grocery store shelves throughout the state.

Failure to look at the “what ifs” in relation to BDCP would be a mistake in the planning process and, yet, this article portrays these possibilities as negatives.

The beneficiary pays concept is guiding the discussion of who pays for the construction and operation of the tunnels. In other words, those who receive the water that moves through the tunnels will pay according to the benefits they receive.

BDCP remains the best opportunity to secure a water future for California. It will safeguard the economy and protect the jobs we all depend on.

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