July 14, 2015
BDCP/Water Fix Comments
P.O. Box 1919
Sacramento, CA 95812
Subject: Support Alternative 4A of California Water Fix
On behalf of Inland Action, this letter is to express our strong support for the California Water Fix (Alternative 4A). Inland Action is a non-profit organization of business and community leaders dedicated to the economic and community betterment of the Southern California region. We urge the Department of Water Resources and the Administration to move forward to bring the California Water Fix to fruition. The California Water Fix represents a thoroughly vetted, viable plan to fix California’s aging water distribution system that supplies water to 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland, while also protecting the natural environment in the Delta.
The re-circulated documents are the culmination of nearly a decade of extensive expert review, planning and scientific and environmental analysis by the State’s leading water experts, engineers and conservationists, and unprecedented public comment and participation. The California Water Fix (Alternative 4A) reflects significant changes and improvements to the plan to address comments from the State and federal governments and other stakeholders.
The California Water Fix will improve our water delivery infrastructure to allow us to responsibly capture and move water during wet years, so that we have a greater water supply during future droughts. The current drought has demonstrated that California’s aging water infrastructure is not equipped to handle the regular boom and bust cycles of our climate. With above average rains predicted in the near future, we must move forward with improved infrastructure to capture the water when it’s available.
The California Water Fix (Alternative 4A) will:
Protect water supplies by delivering them through a modern water pipeline rather than relying solely on today’s deteriorating dirt levee system.
Build a water delivery system that is able to protect our water supplies from earthquakes, floods and natural disasters.
Improve the ability to move water to storage facilities throughout the state so we can capture it for use in dry years.
Restore more natural water flows above ground in rivers and streams in order to reduce impacts on endangered fish and other wildlife.
Protect and restore wildlife and the environment of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Getting to this point has been a long and thorough process. Now is the time to act and move forward to protect California’s water security. For these reasons, Inland Action supports the California Water Fix (Alternative 4A).
Sincerely,
Deborah Barmack
President
cc: Governor Jerry Brown