Multi-billion dollar Pipe Dream

Governor's "Pipe" dream decimates the Delta Estuary, Enriches a Few

The Anatomy of the Proposed Water Grab

Fall 2008

–The Schwarzenegger and Bush Administrations Use Drought Fears to Launch the Westlands-Kern-MWD Plan to hijack water supplies.

They pretend it is AN ECOLOGICAL PLAN to Restore Delta estuary salmon and ecology.

February 2009

—Ecological plan to restore delta estuary and salmon recovery is changed to include

unsustainable water contract deliveries for Westlands and Kern water contractors.

http://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/pdfs/EPA_Comments_BDCP_3rdNO_051409.pdf

March 2009

—In a back-room deal, federal and state water officials obligate taxpayers to subsidize

water for huge corporate agribusiness by signing agreements to divert fresh water flows around the

delta, including unsustainable water contract deliveries. MWD, Kern and Westlands water contractors

to oversee and virtually direct the effort. No public review or comment.

http://aquadoc.typepad.com/files/westlands_leaves_bdcp_cocotimes.pdf

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/10/24/18694808.php

http://www.lao.ca.gov/handouts/resources/2011/BDCP_Planning_process_10_19_11.pdf

—

Similar to the subprime mortgage debacle, Westlands’ contractors issue interest-only debt to

finance the secret plan to raid Northern California water and send it south. Taxpayers and ratepayers

will pay off these risky loans when the 45-mile peripheral canal/tunnel is finalized.

deltacouncil.ca.gov/get-document/3508

September 2009

—Senator Feinstein, at the request of Stewart Resnick, a billionaire from Southern

California who owns and operates some of nation’s largest farming operation, presses the Obama

administration to get the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review two federal biological

opinions, stating that the NAS….. “is the only body whose views will be respected by all the relevant

parties as a truly independent voice."

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/09/23/23greenwire-senfeinstein-

demands-outside-review-of-calif-75517.html

Media reports found that as one of the West Coast's largest estuaries plunged to the brink of collapse

from 2000 to 2007, state water officials pumped unprecedented amounts of water out of the Delta,

then bought some of it back at taxpayer expense at a 150% mark-up, further enriching huge corporate

water contractors such as Resnick while failing to protect the environment and endangered salmon. .

[See Contra Costa Times @ http://www.revivethesanjoaquin.org/content/pumping-water-and-cashdelta]

November 2009

— 2 am water legislation passes the California Legislature with automatic

incorporation clause § 85320(e) that requires adoption of peripheral canal/tunnel unless a State or

Federal Wildlife officials object. The water export plan is disingenuously promoted to the public as

having “ co-equal goals” to “restore the Delta ecosystem” and “maintain a reliable water supply.”

South of the Delta water-takers assume definition of ‘reliable’ means ‘more water’.

http://www.eenews.net/public/Greenwire/2009/11/04/1

February 2010

   Facing objections from a dozen West Coast lawmakers, Sen. Dianne Feinstein drops

her controversial bid to direct more water to Westside San Joaquin Valley farmers, overriding

protections for the threatened and endangered fisheries of the San Francisco Bay– Delta Estuary.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/02/18/1827922/feinstein-may-drop-water-plan.html

February 2010

—Kern, MWD, and Westlands reveal pipe sizing (two pipes, each 33 feet in diameter),

plan to divert most delta estuary fresh water flow through a ‘conveyance.’ Plan includes some tidal

marsh restoration, but without essential fresh water flow needed to restore salmon and delta

ecology.   http://greenroots.pcl.org/tag/bdcp/

April 2010

—The first of five new intake pumps opens to take water from the Sacramento River around

the delta.

http://baydeltaconservationplan.com/Libraries/Dynamic_Document_Library/Comments_on_BDCP_C

omponents_Affecting_Stone_Lakes.sflb.ashx

August 2010

—State Water Board determines delta estuary and fishery protection needs 75% of the

Sacramento River flow from November through June, and 60% of the flow from the San Joaquin

River from February through June to protect public trust values of the San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary.

http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/deltaflow/final_rpt.

shtml

September 2010 Governor Schwarzeneggar removes water bond from the ballot. He claims no public

vote required to expend the $20 to $50 Billion to build the pipeline that will drain the delta.

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/water-grab/content?oid=1516923

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/30/local/la-me-arnold-water-20100630

May 2011 National Academy of Sciences issues peer reviewed report stating science is lacking in

California Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Critical missing components, include clearly defined goals and

a scientific analysis of the proposed project's potential impacts on delta species. The scientific

information in the plan is fragmented and presented in an unconnected manner, NAS says, making its

meaning difficult to understand.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/05/113739/nationalacademy-

of-sciences-bay.html

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=13148

December 2011 Senator F

einstein’s Budget earmark paves way for easier water sales to Resnick,

Westlands, MWD and Kern water contractors.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/12/19/133552/feinstein-quietly-paves-way-for.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/26/ED7R1MGG4Q.DTL

March 2012 California water planners release 10,000 pages of scientific documents, framing the plan

to increase water exports to drain the Delta, claiming also to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin

River Delta while draining it.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/13/4484650/water-contractors-needto-

get.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/26/ED7R1MGG4Q.DTL

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/05/4467475/draft-plan-for-delta-tunnel-wont.html

May 2012 State and federal wildlife agencies issue

‘red flag’ warning that the proposed BDCP project

may, in fact, harm some species it is supposed to restore.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/05/4467475/draft-plan-for-delta-tunnel-wont.html

June 2012 California Resources Secretary Laird announces plans to proceed with the Two-Pipe

Tunnel, each 33 feet in diameter to transport most of the fresh water flows around the delta some 45

miles to the south for export to Westlands, Kern and MWD water contractors.

http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=21131

Eberhardt School of Business, University of Pacific, reports that rate payers at the LA area

Metropolitan Water District will pay 75% of the cost of the tunnel/pipe, and yet, only receive 25% of

the water exported from the Delta.

http://valleyecon.blogspot.com/