Delta Flows - Weekly Highlights from Restore the Delta
For the Week of April 23, 2007
“…Conflicts over water are really about fundamental questions of democracy itself: Who will make the decisions that affect our future, and who will be excluded? And if citizens no longer control their most basic resource, their water, do they really control anything at all?"
-- from Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of our Water by Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman
While the book Thirst examines the privatization of water within municipalities, this quote from the book’s Preface strikes the Restore the Delta staff as the fundamental concern we have regarding the government agency processes being conducted to set the future of the California Delta. Will Delta landowners and local Delta stakeholders continue for the most part to be excluded from decision making? How will the decisions that are being made for us by interests from other parts of California affect our future? Are the government agencies leading the way in setting the fate of the Delta serving large corporate interests first through their recommendations regarding water export levels and conveyance methods? And if we don’t have a say in the water quality and quantity passing through the Delta, will the Delta cease to be the vital natural resource for the region that it is today?
If these questions resonate with you, then you will not want to miss:
Healthy Delta Communities
Presented by Restore the Delta on May 2nd, 2007. This event, unlike those sponsored by government agencies, will be held from 6-9 p.m. so that working Delta locals can participate. It will be held at Elkhorn School, 10505 N. Davis Road, Stockton.
Directions:
Coming from either North or South on I-5 or Highway 99 exit at Eight Mile Road. From I-5 head east a few miles to Davis Road, turn right, and head south to the school. From Highway 99 head west a few mile to Davis Road, turn left, and head south to the school.
You may park in the school parking lot. Please arrive at 5:45 in order to register. Signs will direct you to the Multi-Purpose Room where the event will be held. Light snacks will be provided.
The Program Will Feature:
*An update from Restore the Delta to community members on our efforts over the last six months;
*A fascinating Google Map presentation by Dr. Bob Twiss, Professor Emeritus UC Berkeley, on the status and threats to the Delta;
*A panel discussion on threats to the Delta, featuring Restore the Delta Board Members and Advisors Mick Canevari, Dan Bacher, Barry Nelson, Andrea Treece, and Bill Jennings;
*A panel discussion on solutions to managing the Delta featuring Restore the Delta Advisors Tom Zuckerman, Dante Nomellini, Barry Nelson, and Mindy McIntyre;
*Roll out for developing a Healthy Delta Communities Plan and other community participation opportunities.
This event is free and open to the public; however, we ask that you RSVP to Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla ASAP
as limited seats are still available.In Other Delta News
The Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force is scheduled to meet this Friday, April 27, 2007. The meeting will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street, Room 202, in Sacramento. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m., and is open to the public. Three interesting items of note on the agenda include context memos on floods and levees, water supply and quality, and sustainability.
The agenda and meeting materials are available on the Delta
Vision website at
http://www.deltavision.ca.gov. In addition, the meeting
will be webcasted
here..
