The latest online issue of ESTUARY News sums up two days of presentations and discussions on the 2013 State of the Estuary conference, held last October in Oakland. Here’s my coverage of the afternoon session which featured a debate bewteen Jerry Meral and Jeff Michael over the economics of the BDCP, a presentation by Ellen Hanak on how stakeholders and scientists view the Delta, and a presentation by Jay Lund on implementing adaptive management:
“The Delta is many things to many people. This idea helps explain divergent views of how the region’s habitats should be managed, but also fuels arguments over how best to resuscitate Delta ecosystems while slaking California’s thirst for water. A Wednesday afternoon session on how social factors affect Delta management began with a panel discussion on the economics of the controversial Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The panel featured California Deputy Secretary for Natural Resources Jerry Meral and Jeff Michael, director of the University of the Pacific’s Business Forecasting Center.
Michael described the BDCP as the most expensive water infrastructure project in California history. He asserted the costs are simply too high, especially for agricultural contractors who will use most of the water, and challenged the state to do a more rigorous cost-benefit analysis. According to his own analysis, the costs of the water developed could range from $541 to $9,000 per acre foot (see Powerpoint Gallery). “Everyone has a different baseline for comparison, but no one is using the no-tunnel alternative as a baseline, which might be better for the fish,” he said. … “
Continue reading at ESTUARY News here: Delta Economics and Ecosystem Management
More articles: The latest issue of ESTUARY News recaps all the sessions of the conference. You can access all the articles here: ESTUARY News: 100 Experts Take Stock of Estuary Health
