Will California’s Twin-tunnels Become Reality?

The plan to build two massive tunnels through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta relies on key changes to the water rights permit held by the Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Brown’s administration has said construction of the twin Delta tunnels could begin as soon as 2018, clearing the way for a massive alteration in the way water is diverted from the Delta to the Central Valley and Southern California. The State Water Resources Control Board, which oversees water rights and water quality in the Delta, is expected to hear testimony on whether to approve the petition.

Changes to the water permit are needed before construction can begin. 

Image source: The  Scramento Bee

The powerful Water Board is assessing potential impacts of the project, called the California WaterFix, on water users and potential environmental damage to sensitive fish and wildlife habitat.

State water officials, in requesting the permit change, said “it takes the sophisticated use of water to make California the most populous state in the nation, with the most productive farm economy and a rich abundance of wildlife and natural beauty...DWR pursues the California WaterFix to better protect native fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and to safeguard water supplies for future generations.”

The project has drawn fierce opposition from environmental groups, who argue the state should take less water out of the Delta.

Hearings on the proposed new diversion and re-diversion points start at 9 a.m. at the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Sacramento headquarters, 1001 I St. It’s the latest in a series of public hearings state water officials are holding in the coming months on the project.

Before former President   Barack Obama left office, officials with his administration took steps to advance the tunnels, calling the project essential for the state’s water supply and environment.

The tunnels would cost $14.9 billion for design and construction, $1.4 billion for operations and maintenance and $796 million to offset impacts of construction and other needs, according to an analysis by the California Natural Resources Agency. The bulk of the costs would be paid for by public water agencies and likely passed on to consumers.

Source: The Sacramento Bee