Ongoing story, with water rationing already being called for in LA.
Delta backup plans mulled
If pump shutdown continues, more drastic action to allow water deliveries will be needed.
By Matt Weiser - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, June 7, 2007
The state Department of Water Resources is weighing backup plans in case water export pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta remain idle more than 10 days, a prospect that looks increasingly likely.
The shutdown of pumps near Tracy began May 31 to protect the threatened Delta smelt, a tiny fish that began turning up dead at the facility. That is normal during water exports, but was considered especially alarming after a spring survey indicated a record low population of the fish.
Local water agencies around California have weathered the first week of the shutdown, drawing on groundwater and reservoir storage. But more-drastic measures may soon be necessary.
About 25 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland get a portion of their water from the state pumps.
"It all makes me nervous," said Bill Harrison, general manager of Oak Flat Water District near Tracy.
The district draws irrigation water directly from the California Aqueduct south of the pumps. It has drawn down its share of that water by about a foot. Total water level in the canal, which averages 30 feet deep, has dropped about 5 feet.
Water users south of San Luis Reservoir continue to receive normal deliveries from that source. It is points between the reservoir and the pumps that are most at risk of shortages. That includes communities in the South Bay and East Bay.
"I don't think we can go past 10 (days) without causing big problems," said DWR Deputy Director Jerry Johns.
