Barriers Going in the Delta

[fishdist]

The Dept of Water Resources is meeting with Reclamation District 2059 to get a permit to install “temporary barriers” in the False River due to the drought. Apparently this is just a prelude to installing barriers in Three Mile Slough and Fisherman’’s Cut. It appears the drought is being used as an excuse to put in barriers that will be needed for the Twin Tunnels in the future.

Anyone interested in attending the meeting it is on Tuesday, March 18th at 10 AM at the Reclamation District Office 6325 Bethel Island Rd., Bethel Island, CA.

Please notify everyone you know that opposes our navigable waterways being blocked.

fishdist

[KEDDINGS]

Fishdist,

Let me start off by saying I am 100% against the Twin Tunnels. But haven't these temporary barriers been used before and aren't they currently in use? (http://baydeltaoffice.water.ca.gov/sdb/ ... ex_tbp.cfm)

A few articles have mentioned that they may affect the salmon but isn't the purpose of these barriers to keep salt water from creeping up the river? I also read about an elementary school having to pump water from a different river because I believe ?Rock Slough? was too salty. I can only see this as being beneficial to the black bass. I would, however, like to know how these are a precursor or related to the Twin Tunnels if you can direct me to more information or elaborate please.

[Big Buddy]

Fishdist, my family is one of many who have been in a long ongoing lawsuit due to the tunnels. The barriers that are going in, are in the same exact path that the tunnels will be going. I believe they are trying to get these barriers voted in, so in the future it will be easier to get the pipeline started since there will already be existing barriers in the same exact path. Keddings, these barriers will indeed prevent salt water from coming up river and help the bass. It's just a joke they are using the drought as an excuse to "start the tunnel project" under our noses

[Fred Fullerton]

Yes I agree this a bad idea, This government has already bored pipe lines through the mountain to divert water too the Colorado river at a cost to the tax payers after being told no by a vote of the people so what would stop them from more lying and going against the vote. Politicians in Sacramento are in for one thing and that is their self They Lie to get what ever they want. So be ware and remember to vote we need too change every office in Sacramento.

[Urban]

The barriers have nothing to do with BDCP (aka the tunnels). The ones in the south Delta, which have been constructed for many years, have to do with reliable water for ag and for providing a head to deliver that water. The new ones are to keep salt out of key locations during the drought conditions. But for those of you who have been brain washed and are paranoid, carry on.

[steve0806]

The barriers have nothing to do with BDCP (aka the tunnels). The ones in the south Delta, which have been constructed for many years, have to do with reliable water for ag and for providing a head to deliver that water. The new ones are to keep salt out of key locations during the drought conditions. But for those of you who have been brain washed and are paranoid, carry on.

You are right on point. Excellent post.

[Big Buddy]

Urban, I can see why you would think people are brainwashed, but why weren't barriers put in, in the past when we were in droughts? It is because the plans for a pipeline were not in the works. I'm not crying. Just stating the obvious. The only reason I worry about the pipeline is because it will effect 2 pieces of property I own right where this is all happening.

[riverguy225]

Wow...not good. It's criminal how the governments going about this. This is starting look more and more like the Tony Soprano business model... They will not be removing these "temporary" barriers I assure you. Very sad.

[Urban]

[quote="Big Buddy"]Urban, I can see why you would think people are brainwashed, but why weren't barriers put in, in the past when we were in droughts? It is because the plans for a pipeline were not in the works. I'm not crying. Just stating the obvious. The only reason I worry about the pipeline is because it will effect 2 pieces of property I own right where this is all happening.[/quote]

I fully support local concern about the tunnel, especially those that have property and business's that would be affected. This is one of the worst droughts in recent times, and with each passing year new technologies are developed and those that control the Delta have better data to design engineered solutions to whatever the problem is. So, roll those all that together and what you get is the concept of installing temporary barriers to control salt intrusion. These new temporary barriers, which will be located in Sutter, Steamboat, and I think False River, will be removed. Has nothing to do with the tunnel, I promise you that. The thing we all need to be concerned with is that the DCC has been opened (not sure what the operational schedule is), to control water quality for deliveries south, during the critical Chinook smolting/emigration time period. This is bad news because any smolt that goes through the DCC has a very slim chance of making its way through the golden gate and out to the ocean.

[Brent B]

Mr. Fullerton, I am curious as to where this pipeline from California Mountains to the Colorado River is? This is not meant in disrespect, I am really curious as to where it is. Watching Mead drop year after year and So. Cal gets a majority of it, it is definitely a concern for the entire West Coast. I am originally from the Bay Area and I have driven on I-5 recently, there is definitely a major problem with water. It is very scary!

[mark poulson]

To me, the real concern is that none of us have any faith that our own govt. is being honest with us.
Private finance of public office, with campaign contributions equalling access and influence, has turned out system into a one dollar one vote system, and that is bad for democracy.
As long as bureaucrats, controlled by elected officials, are in charge of public policy, instead of the experts in the various agencies who actually try to do what's best for the systems they manage, we will have this kind of distrust, and, unfortunately, it's been well earned by betrayal of the public trust in the past.

[NoCAL]

I don't know enough about this topic to be for or against. I feel the emotional aspect because I live here and don't want my water/fishing to suffer for So. Cal. I feel the frustration of the farmers who are trying to grow food in a non-optimal location with purchased water. Here is my question though. So they are proposing 2 tunnels with capacity to pump 9-15K cuft/sec. This water would then be pumped into the State Water Project with storage in San Luis, Castaic, and a few smaller bodies. But the lift over the Grapevine has a finite capacity of 4480 cuft/sec. So, once the reservoirs are filled, don't they have to limit pumping to the capacity of the "smallest nozzle"? That is not different than what is done today but at least this water would be collected up in Hood rather than from the current pumps that everyone agrees kill fish and allow salt intrusion. I'm probably totally wrong but other than the fiscal impact, are they really able to take "more" water if more can't be pumped over the mountains.

NoCAL

[fish_food]

Here is my question though. So they are proposing 2 tunnels with capacity to pump 9-15K cuft/sec. This water would then be pumped into the State Water Project with storage in San Luis, Castaic, and a few smaller bodies.

No, the water goes to the Central Valley water districts (Westlands Water District, etc). This water, a public resource, is subsidized and sold to them at below market pricing. It's distributed to megafarms who plant water-intensive permanent crops (pomegranite orchards, for example) that shouldn't really be grown in the desert and also sold to municipal water districts in Southern California at a high profit. 80% of the Delta's water export actually goes to Central California.

[Big Buddy]

I was at the meeting. Quite a few people attended. Sounds like the barriers could be finished by May 1st. Then they say the barriers will be removed in November. I will believe it when I see it!!

[Wolfeman]

Here is my question though. So they are proposing 2 tunnels with capacity to pump 9-15K cuft/sec. This water would then be pumped into the State Water Project with storage in San Luis, Castaic, and a few smaller bodies.

No, the water goes to the Central Valley water districts (Westlands Water District, etc). This water, a public resource, is subsidized and sold to them at below market pricing. It's distributed to megafarms who plant water-intensive permanent crops (pomegranite orchards, for example) that shouldn't really be grown in the desert and also sold to municipal water districts in Southern California at a high profit. 80% of the Delta's water export actually goes to Central California.

Fishfood. You nailed it. This is Stewart Resnick getting richer and more powerful. Period.

[fish_food]

Yep, the giving away of Delta water to agribusiness is what's known as a gift of public funds, aided by Feinstein and other Central Valley politicians that Resnick and company have paid off.

[Big Buddy]

Forgot to mention that I heard from a very reliable source that there will be no farming on Webb Tract this year cause they will probably be flooding the entire island to store water.

[Urban]

[quote="Wolfeman"][quote="fish_food"][quote="NoCAL"]Here is my question though. So they are proposing 2 tunnels with capacity to pump 9-15K cuft/sec. This water would then be pumped into the State Water Project with storage in San Luis, Castaic, and a few smaller bodies.[/quote]

No, the water goes to the Central Valley water districts (Westlands Water District, etc). This water, a public resource, is subsidized and sold to them at below market pricing. It's distributed to megafarms who plant water-intensive permanent crops (pomegranite orchards, for example) that shouldn't really be grown in the desert and also sold to municipal water districts in Southern California at a high profit. 80% of the Delta's water export actually goes to Central California.[/quote]

Fishfood. You nailed it. This is Stewart Resnick getting richer and more powerful. Period.[/quote]

I dont believe this is correct. Its the federal project, the CVP, that serves the Central Valley Ag industry. The state project, the SWP, serves SoCal municipal and industrial water needs. Just saying. And for the record I cant stand the selling/subsidized water to the Ag industry, they are the ones that are ruining this state and its natural resources.

[fish_food]

I dont believe this is correct. Its the federal project, the CVP, that serves the Central Valley Ag industry. The state project, the SWP, serves SoCal municipal and industrial water needs. Just saying. And for the record I cant stand the selling/subsidized water to the Ag industry, they are the ones that are ruining this state and its natural resources.

I thought Southland municipal utilities like MWD use both state and federal conveyance systems to receive water. Maybe not then.

But yea, everyone should be angry about the subsidizing and over-allocation of public water to private interests in backroom DWR deals.

[mark poulson]

I dont believe this is correct. Its the federal project, the CVP, that serves the Central Valley Ag industry. The state project, the SWP, serves SoCal municipal and industrial water needs. Just saying. And for the record I cant stand the selling/subsidized water to the Ag industry, they are the ones that are ruining this state and its natural resources.

I thought Southland municipal utilities like MWD use both state and federal conveyance systems to receive water. Maybe not then.

But yea, everyone should be angry about the subsidizing and over-allocation of public water to private interests in backroom DWR deals.

Amen!!!

[VinnieTheFish]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't they put this same barrier up when the levee broke in 2004? It was a minor inconvenience for fisherman but wasn't insurmountable. If anything it actually made a few areas fish a little better due to slack current in False River.