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The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.

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Salvos Fired In California Water Wars--Assembly Hearing Tomorrow--Senate Hearing Postponed to Monday

By Frank D. Russo

The California State Assembly will hold its first hearing of the special session on water tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in the largest hearing room available. The Senate has postponed tomorrow's hearing solely for personal scheduling reasons, we are told. The Senate hearing will now take place on Monday at 1:00 p.m. unless the time changes at the call of the chair.

Meanwhile, the water war of words is going strong as the Associated Press has reported that, "Assembly Republicans said Wednesday that they will reject any plan to improve the state's water supplies unless it includes funding for new dams." This has drawn sharp rebukes from Assembly and Senate Democrats. Shades of the budget impasse?

Senate President pro Tem Don Perata, who has taken the lead on water and has a number of bills pending in the Senate special session, had this to say: “Drawing ‘lines in the sand’ won’t safeguard the supply of clean, safe drinking water that our homes, businesses and farms so urgently need. Our proposal encourages water conservation, while including both surface and groundwater storage, and protecting the water sources supplying the State Water Project. Experts agree that is the best way to provide the water we need to keep California’s economy strong.”

Assemblymember Lois Wolk (D-Davis), chair of the Special Committee on Water, and Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), leader of the Assembly Democratic Caucus Water Working Group, also responded to Assembly Republicans’ pledge to “draw a line in the sand” if Democrats refuse to preemptively guarantee that a final legislative package includes new dam construction.

Wolk said “I will be chairing hearings that will begin the process of moving forward responsibly on these issues, I don’t think issuing ultimatums or counter-ultimatums is the productive approach for California. The Delta should not be kicked around like a political football. There is a serious crisis and it needs a serious response. We need to all sit at the same table and talk. Tomorrow's hearing is a good start.”

John Laird, who chaired the budget committee and is known for paying attention to details and trying to work out consensus, said: “There are those who believe strongly that dams must be part of the solution, and as the working group leader I have been asked my position on them. To me, it’s a question of analyzing whether they should be built, and who pays. Dams have been built in California with no state money in recent years -- with users paying the freight. The most the state has contributed for a dam has been 3% of the cost of Oroville Dam. The Governor has proposed three dams at a cost of over $5 billion -- a record level of public financing because he is proposing the state come up with 50% of the cost for each dam.”

Tomorrow's Assembly hearing is expected to last approximately three hours and will concentrate on California's Water Systems and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It will be an informational hearing. That means specific legislation will not be taken up for a vote.

Panels of witnesses will be testifying, including:

• Phil Isenberg, Chair of the Delta Vision Commission, a 41 member panel appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger, commonly referred to as the "Blue Ribbon Task Force."

• Jay Lund, a professor in the Civil and Engineering Department at UC Davis, who will provide an overview of the "plumbing and infrastructure" of California's water system.

• David Nawi, an attorney who has mediated many of California's water disputes will present an overview of historical legal conflicts regarding the Delta and the recent Wanger smelt decision.

• Legislative Analyst Office Representatives David Vasche and Mark Newton.

• Ellen Hanak, a coauthor earlier this year of a 324 page report released by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), "Envisioning Futures for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta."

Next Monday, pending receipt of the bills, the Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee will be hearing SBX2 1 (Perata), SBX2 2 (Perata), SBX2 3 (Cogdill), SBX2 4 (Cogdill), and SBX2 5 (Wiggins). for descriptions of the water bills that have been introduced read articles we have published under the topic heading of Water.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will have a hearing on Tuesday, October 9 at 9:00 a.m., also pending receipt of the Senate bills.

Playoffs, the World Series, and water wars. What a combination. We'll keep you posted on the action in Sacramento.

Posted on October 03, 2007

Comments

Is it 2007 or is it 1950?! Let's have each and every member of the assembly read Cadillac Desert and then go to someone like Amory Lovins to provide a gameplan - his 'soft' approach is economic, appropriate and most of all is not a step backwards in how we allocate and manage resources.

Mike Villines' comments that "millions of acre-feet of water every year run to the ocean, totally wasted, is insanity" is insanity.

Until conservation is actually implemented, no more water should be extracted/squeezed/etc in such an unsustainable way.

Well, let's hope this gets as much public backlash as the other 1950s-like boondoggle -- Alaska's bridges to nowhere.

Posted by: Emily Creely at October 4, 2007 01:32 PM

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