Both are important objectives in the long struggle to ensure adequate water and flood control for California.
Water district buys Yolo tract
The Central Valley giant says it wants to aid fish habitat.
By Matt Weiser - mweiser@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Friday, December 14, 2007
One of California's most powerful water agencies has purchased a huge tract of land in the Yolo Bypass, saying it hopes to create a nursery for imperiled fish and ease pressure on the state's water system.
Westlands Water District irrigates more than 600,000 acres of farms in the San Joaquin Valley and is almost entirely dependent on water pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is the world's largest irrigation district, known for power politics as much as a billion-dollar annual yield of grapes, nuts and cotton.
But its fortunes are threatened by Delta pumping restrictions that were driven by a rapid decline in several sensitive fish species, particularly the Delta smelt, a native fingerling protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.
On Wednesday, Westlands closed escrow on a 3,450-acre tract of farmland on the southern edge of Yolo County alongside the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel. The acreage lies in the Yolo Bypass, a swath of land designed to flood in major storms.
Research shows that fish colonize the bypass to feed on insects and plants that bloom during floods. By causing more frequent flooding and creating refuge areas within the bypass for fish to feed and rest, biologists believe the bypass could boost the population of many native species.
Government agencies have tried and failed to pull that off, so Westlands decided to step in.
"The district purchased this property because it thinks that if we're going to improve our water supply, it's necessary to recover the species, and restoring the habitat is one of the things necessary to accomplish that," said Tom Birmingham, Westlands general manager. "We are not dependent on federal or state appropriations. So there will be a steady stream of revenue for the restoration program."
Westlands bought the land for $12 million from longtime Yolo Bypass farmer Duncan McCormack. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Delta advocates greeted the deal with skepticism and hope.
The skeptics point to Westlands' track record. In 2006, it outbid a host of other parties to buy a fishing resort on the McCloud River and 3,000 acres of surrounding land considered sacred to the Winnemem Wintu tribe.
Birmingham stated plainly that Westlands bought the land to ensure it doesn't become an obstacle to raising Shasta Dam.
