The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors has written a letter to Secretary John Laird highlighting several issues that were raised at a recent meeting.
While the Governor’s California Water Action Plan contains portions which certain bear further analysis, such as new water storage, water quality remediation, and flood control, the County cannot support a Plan that presumes an isolated conveyance in the Delta is a necessity. Furthermore, the County remains concerned that funding for the BDCP will exhaust funds for the worthwhile projects that have come out of the collaborative discussions among Coalitions that are focused on projects that work for all.
The state has not adequately funded the Delta Conservancy, the Delta Stewardship Council and the Delta Protection Commission – the agencies that the Legislature has entrusted with governance in the Delta, the County says:
“How are the agencies empowered by law to protect and conserve the Delta and to assist as legally mandated in the attainment of the co-equal goals of the 2009 Delta Reform Act supposed to carry out their missions when they are severely underfunded and adequate funding seems to be withheld? Clearly, one of the points of building trust is to demonstrate that the Delta governing agencies closest to the people are meaningfully funded so they can do their jobs.”
The County remains concerned about the Delta counties participation in the governance of the BDCP, as well as the failure to keep promises and enforce laws as it regards to Delta water quality and quantity. The County maintains its position that a full benefit-cost analysis should be completed now with full disclosure of the project’s costs and benefits before seeking endorsement from state and federal agencies.
The County agrees with Secretary Laird that we all need to work together to come to acceptable solutions:
“The Legislature is doing this as the Senate and Assembly move towards each other in fashioning a water bond. And there will be a need to work together to have legislative enactments that address the concept of trust. But we also need to have further discussions about what we can do to address not only the Delta’s needs but the statewide water needs should BDCP not come to pass.
As we asked, what is Plan B?”
Read the full text of the letter here: San Joaquin County BDCP letter
