Usually when political squabbles break out around an important issue, as is happening now about CalFed, it might be a good idea to appoint a blue ribbon commission to weigh in, clear the air, and bring some above-the-fray wisdom to the issue; and that is one of the recommendations in this story.
An excerpt.
Change in Delta policies pursued
Those who manage troubled estuary agree new direction is needed, but consensus elusive.
By Judy Lin -- Bee Capitol Bureau Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, July 16, 2006
A well-maintained levee gave way, the Delta smelt population crashed, and water quality continues to deteriorate.
Six years since the state and federal governments wrote a plan to restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, things haven't improved for the estuary that supplies water to as much as two-thirds of the state's 36 million residents.
Report after report, California leaders now agree: A long-term governance change -- one with more authority -- is needed if the state wants to sustain such a vital commodity.
But details of how that governance change will look remains murky. While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has embarked on a two-year "Delta Vision" process to determine what the area will look like in 50 to 100 years, state officials say they're still working out a management structure for the program.
The longer it takes, the more frustration builds.
"The governor has skirted around tackling the issues that are necessary for effectively managing the Delta," said Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, whose district covers the Delta. "The administration could have been more firm … to be more responsive to the problems of the Delta. I don't think that pressure has been exerted."
Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow defended the governor, saying he has shown leadership. He pointed to the $4.5 billion in flood control projects if voters approve a measure on the Nov. 7 ballot. The bulk of that money would be used for levee repairs in the Sacramento metropolitan area and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
"I think this governor has done more than any other governor in the state's history," Snow said. "With the levee bonds alone, we will have more money than ever before."
Prompted by droughts, the state and federal governments, along with environmental groups, agricultural and urban water interests, came together in 1994 to form CalFed -- a partnership aimed at protecting the Delta -- the largest estuary on the West Coast where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers merge with the Pacific Ocean.
