Nunes bill to redistribute water rights criticized by conservative Republican Congressman

         Opposition to Rep. Devin Nunes' proposed legislation to grab more water from Northern California - H.R. 1837 -  continues to grow.  But the latest criticism is from an unlikely source.

        This week, Northern California Rep. Wally Herger, a states rights- and private property rights-loving conservative issued the following statement:

       "After carefully reviewing H.R. 1837 and discussing it with water users in our area, I have strong concerns that the bill, as currently drafted, would negatively impact Northern California rights and preempt state water laws. As I have long stated, California's area of origin protections are clear and unambiguous - our water needs must be met first, before excess water is allowed to flow south."

         Tom McClintock, chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, is, another Northern California conservative, and said at the conclusion of a second hearing on the bill June 13 that he would not permit the bill to leave his subcommittee without  assurance the county of origin and watershed of origin statutes are not weakened by the bill. Under those state laws,  counties and areas where rivers originate are entitled to keep enough water to meet present and future anticipated needs before any export south of the Delta can occur.

      The proposed bill - which is almost certain to fail in the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate - has come under increasing attack  from congressional critics, California newspapers, Delta farming interest, and fishing and environmental groups as a special interest juice bill.

   Critics say the bill was undoutedly drafted by consultants, lobbyists and lawyers from the Westlands Water District and the Kern County Water Agency, who will be the biggest beneficiaries of the water grab. Nunes represents part of Kern County. Westlands is the biggest federal water irrigation district in the nation.

    Nunes, who cannot smear Herger or McClintock as "radical extremists" - his favorite term for Bay Area environmental groups - was interviewed by a Southern  California public radio station this week and refused to discuss the flaws in his water bill.