Save the California Delta Alliance (STCDA)

Sometimes getting involved produces results!

The Bethel Island folks have been very worried about the State’s plans for Franks Tract, a State Recreational Area – their livelihood depends on it. Most would prefer the state does nothing to alter it, not trusting state agencies. And I personally was quite livid when I saw the meeting announcement they had attached the prior, rejected plan. We had many meetings where the Bethel Island folks and Delta boaters had objected to that plan. And yet there it was again!

But, amazingly, the CA Division of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) did actually listen (unlike the tunnel-related agencies: DWR, DSC, JPA, and the other three-letter acronym agencies, who have never really listened to the Delta community concerns).

“We are pretty much starting from scratch,” said Brett Milligan, who is working with CDFW as a consultant. “We are starting over on our alternatives.” He continued that their first plan looked only at their fish habitat and salt intrusion issues but hadn’t considered the impacts on the Delta communities, fishing, and boating.

Boating access to False River would have been eliminated — another hotly contested aspect of the plan that is not likely to be present in future iterations.

“They’re trying really hard to appease the users of the Bethel Island area, the Franks Tract area,” said Karen Mann, a resident of Discovery Bay and current President of STCDA, who attended the meeting. “I’ll give them that.”

The Press article here: Read More …

The state began a series of meetings with the water contractors to determine how the contractors would pay for a downsized single tunnel project. Michael Brodsky, our STCDA Legal Council, attended. His thoughts about the meeting were:

“This is like putting the cart on top of the horse as no environmental review has even begun on a single tunnel project and the state should consider alternatives to a tunnel. The Contractors should be figuring out how they will pay to replace exported Delta water with their own newly developed local and regional supplies, including conservation, water recycling, desalination, and other technologies that don’t destroy the Delta.”

And: “Not very much at all happened at the meeting. They all left before noon (less than 2 hours there; was scheduled for all day). Perhaps they will get more into the meat of it next week when they meet again.”

https://water.ca.gov/News/Events/2019/July-19/PublicMeetingfortheSWPContractAmendmentforDeltaConveyance#