Today’s BDCP Milestone Benefits Farmers and Consumers
(The following is a statement by Executive Director Mike Wade of the California Farm Water Coalition regarding the release of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan Draft EIR/EIS.)
“California’s water supply system has become unreliable and needs upgrading for the current and future demands of its residents. Farmers need reliable water supplies to grow food on millions of acres of productive farmland. Consumers face uncertainty when water supplies from the Sierras are interrupted. Today’s release of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan Draft EIR/EIS is another step toward balancing both water supply reliability and costs for millions of Californians and the farmers that grow our food.
“Reliable water supplies also mean better employment opportunities and economic benefits for California. Millions of jobs, business development and affordable housing are created when we have a reliable water supply. A variety of safe, affordable food comes from local farms. Without dependable water supplies, the food we buy will have to be sourced from other states or other countries that don’t have the same strict pesticide and worker safety laws we rely on here in California.”