Victor Davis Hanson: California's Water Wars - Environmentalist efforts to save the delta smelt

City Journal ^ | Summer 2011 | Victor Davis Hanson

[neverdem]

Ping

[okie01]

A definitive deconstruction of the impact of enviromental-whackoism.

What was once ingenious engineering designed to create wealth and prosperity for Californians is now a bane on the smelt population.

Some time in the future, students of California history will ask "What were they thinking?"

[ken21]

our water bills went up because of the smelt.

the local water agencies have helped themselves to luxurious buildings.

[artichokegrower]

Being a grower on the Central Coast of California here’s what I get to deal with

Agricultural Regulatory Program Overview

The Agricultural Regulatory Program regulates discharges from irrigated agricultural lands. The purpose of the program is to prevent agricultural discharges from impairing the waters that receive the discharges. To protect surface water and groundwater, the Water Board issued a general conditional waiver of waste discharge requirements that applies to growers who discharge runoff from irrigated agricultural lands. To comply with the conditions of the waiver growers must prevent discharges, and protect and restore water quality through the effective implementation of appropriate management measures, monitor water quality and implement corrective actions when impairments are found. Growers enroll individually in the general conditional waiver of waste discharge requirements and comply with the conditions. The Central Coast Water Board is utilizing a coordinated watershed approach to implement the Agricultural Regulatory Program. This approach was discussed in detail at the June 2009 Board Meeting and emphasizes priority water quality issues, such as toxicity, nutrients, and sediments. Initial efforts focus in priority watersheds- the Salinas River, Santa Maria, and Pajaro River watersheds. Addressing priority agricultural water quality issues, on a watershed basis, using a focused and systematic approach, maximizes our effectiveness toward tangible improvements in water quality and sustainable agricultural land management. In addition, staff will assess and track progress at the watershed scale, using specific, tangible operational measures, and adapt to the feedback the tracking provides.

http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb3/water_issues/programs/ag_waivers/index.shtml

[Carry_Okie]

Brown Sr. connived the “farmers” (aka real estate speculators) to fund the California Water Project.
They got the water and the rights for less than the delivery costs in return for up-front cash.
The “farmers” held the land under the Williamson Act, nearly tax free, waiting to cash in on rising land value.
The predators want insta-cities along their taxpayer-funded high speed rail route, ala BART.
Even Arnold’s buddy Warren Buffet has his guy Peter Kiewitt (of Bay Bridge heist fame) in on the act.
But first, they had to get rid of those pesky farmers...
What to do.... What to do....

OMG, the Delta Smelt are ENDANGERED!!!

Will they halt non-native Striped Bass from eating them in the (now) “clean water” they wanted? No.
Will they halt the use of chemicals from sewage treatment plants of which even trace amounts are deadly to fish? No.
No, it’s the farmer’s fault, for using the same amount of water as when the fish were fine.
So, a few conservancies, land swaps, and sweetheart deals later, the farmers (aka bag-holders) are up for distressed sales at bargain prices in a recession per the very useful connivances of but one Federill Judge.

In other words, California business as usual.

[okie01]

And I would wager there is not a single regulator or administrator who has the foggiest notion of how to manage an irrigation system. Nor does he have any idea how artichokes -- or any other crops -- are grown.

Nor can he explain the scientific standards, if any, on which their guidelines are based.

What's more, he doesn't care.

[editor-surveyor]

And in addition, the Williamson act is being dismantled one property at a time, by finding “violations” and levering them into a reason to void the contracts.

Who knows what we’re going to eat.

[editor-surveyor]

And the damn smelt aren’t even a native fish.

They were dumped into the river by fishermen that had bought them for bait, and now the invader has to be protected.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “What’s more, he doesn’t care.” <<

.
B I N G O !
.

[originalbuckeye]

We drove from San Francisco to LA in Dec, 2009. It was heartbreaking to see all those farms with nothing in the fields but dry dirt. Every other farm had yellow signs posted that said ‘Congress created dustbowl’. The Central Valley farmers are Conservative. Most get no water. Our fruit/vegetable prices rose because of the Delta Smelt. All the Gov’t officials said, when confronted with the dying farmland was : what about the fishermen who need the Delta Smelt. Contrived rescue of a tiny fish to raise prices on food. Phonies!

[TheDon]

It is long past time for SoCal to take responsibility for it’s water needs.

http://www.carlsbad-desal.com/

[Claytonbridge]

Wonder how many employees these agencies have and much they have grown....and how much money and benefits they get in these sweet government jobs. The more regulations the more money for them and all the hangers on in the universities.

[Doomonyou]

Signs all up and down I-5. Thanks Boxer! Thanks Swinestien! IDIOTS!

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

We can solve the snail darter/smelt problem by having one big damned fish-fry. Eat them all. That will put them on the Extinct Species List, not on the Endangered Species List.

No fish, no listing, no problems.

Tasty little bastards, with butter and tartar sauce.

[marsh2]

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/08/26/18688822.php
Brown appoints Chuck Bonham (Attorney for Trout Unlimited) as new DFG Director

[calcowgirl]

The new Organized Crime.

[Carry_Okie]

I call it, “Highly-Organized Crime,” an add HOC operation, if you will.

[goat granny]

***Who knows what we’re going to eat.****

I hear delta smelt are quite tasty, in Michigan you go smelt dipping after dark. Can have them cleaned and eaten by noon. Evidence gone...yummy

[haroldeveryman]

In order to survive the Great Recession, I was counting on tying a mattress to the roof of my jalopy and driving to Salinas to pick spinach. So much for that pipe dream.

Plan B is to drive to Sacramento and maximize my effectiveness in drafting regulations that strive toward tangible improvements in sustainable regulatory oversight.