SoCal Water Agency to Purchase Four Delta Islands

[WB Staff]

Stockton, CA – At a closed session board meeting this morning, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California authorized the purchase of four islands in the San Francisco Bay-Delta for an undisclosed sum.
The deal is highly controversial in Northern California as it would put Southern California’s most powerful water agency in control of a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands that can serve as water storage areas or entry points for the proposed $15 billion Delta Tunnels projects.

For months MWD has been considering the purchase of islands now used for farming. The islands mirror the path of the plan for the Delta Tunnels proposal.

The four island deal includes Bouldin Island, Webb Tract, Holland Tract, and Bacon Island. They cover approximately 20,000 acres of the Delta. Here is a map of the islands in the path of the Delta Tunnels...
Read the rest: http://www.westernbass.com/article/sout ... a-response



More in Sac Bee

In a controversial move that could shake up California’s water community, Southern California’s most powerful water agency moved a giant step closer Tuesday to purchasing a cluster of islands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Following months of negotiations, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s board of directors authorized its general manager to enter into a contract to buy the islands from the owner, Delta Wetlands Properties, a company controlled by Swiss conglomerate Zurich Insurance Group.

Metropolitan delivers water wholesale to 19 million people through 26 agencies. The board’s vote, with 54 percent of its member agencies approving under Metropolitan’s weighted voting system, immediately set off alarm bells in the Delta and elsewhere in Northern California.

The Delta is the conduit through which the state and federal water projects deliver billions of gallons of water from Northern California to the vast farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley and millions of urban Southern Californians. The prospect of Metropolitan controlling a group of islands in the heart of the estuary has sparked accusations that the agency will somehow use the islands to engineer a “water grab” – an allegation Metropolitan has steadfastly denied.

Jeff Kightlinger, Metropolitan’s general manager, said he plans to execute purchase documents “within the next couple of days.” He wouldn’t disclose the purchase price Tuesday, but said the deal is for somewhere between $150 million and $240 million. The price will become public once the documents are executed, he said.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/califo ... rylink=cpy

[mark poulson]

Man, this is like the DWP and the Owen's Valley all over again.
Check out the movie Chinatown to get an idea of the level of corruption involved.
If they are buying the islands, it sounds like the fix is already in.
Come on, Jerry Brown, be the Governor for all the people, not just Stuart Resnick and his fellow water thieves.
It's a game to him, but it's our lives that will be hurt.

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/ ... 762178.php

[DDG]

These people could give 2 craps less what the delta means to us and most importantly the environment. All they car about is $$ and control

[Newbassfisherman]

Maybe they want to build a new resort that will cater to fishermen and bring a bass masters classic our west. NOT

[2833-34497]

Sign and Pass this on!!
https://www.change.org/p/most-important ... -the-delta

[zdbm2004]

http://www.signalscv.com/section/36/article/147332/
1 lake that is part of the ladder to all the rest. Desalination better hurry up for SoCal.

[Otay Michael]

Sign and Pass this on!!
https://www.change.org/p/most-important ... -the-delta

I signed that yesterday, my wife today. Takes only seconds.
Then I posted a link to my facebook page.

If you don't add your two cents folks, don't complain when you can't fish anymore.
Squeaky wheel gets the grease!

[mark poulson]

Done. I signed this morning.

[mark poulson]

Where does Western Bass stand on this issue?

[Freefall]

Thanks for posting. I passed it on.

[WB Staff]

@mark poulson
WB is always pro Delta fishing.