The Sacramento Bee presented a good discussion about our water policy with two experts, one essentially taking the position that humans and their welfare is more important than that of any and all animal species; the other essentially taking an opposite position.
Though we agree with the former, who writes:
“Even though the state has dealt with drought conditions for three years running, Californians are experiencing a water shortage created in large part by a powerful federal statute known as the Endangered Species Act.
“For more than 30 years, the federal Central Valley Project and California's State Water Project have transported water from Northern California through the Delta to water users west and south of the Delta. At the south end of the Delta, near the community of Tracy, these projects operate large pumping stations that propel the water on its long journey.
“More than 23 million Californians – two-thirds of the state's population – and tens of thousands of industrial and business users consume 70 percent of the transported water, while 30 percent goes to irrigate more than a million acres of farmland that make California the No. 1 food producer in the country. The projects – the world's largest water storage and delivery system – also generate hydroelectric power, improve water quality in the Delta, control flood waters, provide recreation and enhance fish and wildlife.”
the latter makes some good points, though not about status, but perhaps in the choice of water wasteful crops grown by the Valley farmers, where he writes:
“Namely, a recognition that fish are long overdue to be placed on equal footing with agriculture. And they certainly should be given a higher status than the thousands of acres of the San Joaquin Valley now devoted to tax-supported cotton, water-wasting alfalfa, speculative wine grapes and almonds for export. More than two-thirds of almonds grown here are sent overseas.
“The dirty but not-so-little secret of San Joaquin Valley agriculture is that a great deal of it has nothing to do with putting food on the tables of Americans and more to do with propping up water-wasteful, welfare-farming operations that would not exist except for direct and indirect taxpayer support.
“The collapse of the salmon run correlates perfectly with an increase in Delta diversions to record levels to water those crops. Drivers heading south on Interstate 5 pass field after field of newly planted grape vines, fruit and nut trees stretching to the horizon. Nine hundred thousand acres of the San Joaquin Valley was devoted to cotton in 2008, an increase over 2007 acreage even though California was in a drought. But fewer than 70,000 salmon returned to the Sacramento-San Joaquin river system last fall, more than a 90 percent decline from the peak of 800,000 recorded since records started being kept in 1967.”
