FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, May 8, 2015
Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDelta
If levees are so fragile, why is DWR pounding on them?
What about earthquake threat to rest of 300 mile water project?
Jersey Island, CA- Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build massive underground water tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today held a news conference at the site of the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) construction project to note the Brown Administration was excavating the top of the levee, with several days of pylon driving, and shaking the levee to its core. “There was no damage to the levee, yet the governor claims Delta levees are so “fragile” they will all fail in an earthquake. This is a main justification in the governor’s campaign to force through the water export tunnels. Yet, not one Delta levee has ever failed in an earthquake. The earthquake threat to the remainder of the 300-mile water project is greater than in the Delta, yet the governor has no plans to address that risk. His focus on the Delta shows that it is water exports for unsustainable mega-growers, not earthquake threat to the people of California, that is the governor’s concern.
“Our Delta levees have never failed in an earthquake, despite the governor’s propaganda in support of his underground tunnels,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, RTD executive director. “As the Brown Administration cynically misinforms the public that the levees would fail en masse in an earthquake, his construction crews pound, shake and hammer the same levees to install a river barrier.”
Not one levee has been lost in the Delta due to earthquakes. Geotechnical experts like Dr. Bob Pyke who produced the Economic Sustainability Report for the Delta Protection Commission with Dr. Jeff Michael, assess the risk to other parts of the water delivery system as greater than the earthquake threat in the Delta. The Hayward Fault is 40 miles from the Center of the Delta, but the State Water Project Canals, the Central Valley Project Canals, cross over thrust faults. And the Bureau of Reclamation admits that San Luis Reservoir has a seismic deficiency in its structure. These are much more serious risks to the state’s water delivery system. Yet the governor’s plan ignores these risks to focus on continuing to over pump the Delta to subsidize unsustainable huge industrial agriculture on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.
This same report explains that if a major earthquake were to happen in the Delta, 100% of the loss of life from such a tragedy would happen in Delta communities and 80% of the economic loss. That’s correct, the majority of economic loss would be lost infrastructure within the Delta.
The tunnels will not protect the 4 million people who live in the Delta and in surrounding communities, and will not protect this infrastructure. The only thing that will is upgrading levees to the highest seismic standard — a$2- $4 billion investment that includes habitat — a much better investment for the state.
The $16 billion construction cost of the tunnels, according to their own documents, does not provide adequate money for levee reinforcements, and repairs for the ten year construction period of the project. There will be 40 miles of pylon driving happening around the clock, seven days a week for 10 years, with tens of thousands of new trucks moving muck up and down these levee roads for 10 years, staging areas, and the construction of coffer dams. The Delta tunnels plan does not contain adequate mitigation for these impacts, or for protecting people.
The priorities of the State are evident in the inadequate steps taken to protect the Giant Gardner snake, a protected species, during construction. Photos taken during the construction show that DWR put up a 150-foot fence along the staging area that runs for 7 miles. It is laughable to think that will protect the snake from slithering into equipment and materials during construction. The snake can and will easily go around this cloth fence. The entire site would have had to have been fenced to protect that species. How will the State protect endangered species staging 40 miles of around the clock construction for 10 years?
Would love to see a nap showing where they are going to build 3 temp dams on steamboat, Sutter and ? Sloughs. Also show where these pilings and construction are located. Thanks
We’re weary of the Gov spouting off about science & engineering when his information is tainted by the bias of his sources or hidden agendas. He’s neither a civil or hydraulic engineer like Dr. Robert Pyke, nor is he an environmental supporter with a modicum of real biological background. He’s a career politician with an advanced degree in law, not physical or biological science. But he is a campaigner beholden to his strongest allies (ie. most conflicted donors such as the building trades, construction companies, land developers) whose mostly male members will benefit directly from high pay construction jobs if the tunnels go forward. He’s voiced plenty of untruths about these drought aspects as well. Any catatrophic earthquakes could harm the Delta communities themselves, and the tunnels aren’t designed to avoid that happening.
The tunnels don’t solve a drought issue and won’t directly add to any fresh water storage. The levee earthquake hysteria Brown spreads is false. These levees act as salt water intrusion barriers. Money spent for additional cross-barriers against salt intrusion isn’t a viable investment if higher flows of fresh run-offs were occurring. This is the point behind any claims to fresh water export south of the Delta – it’s supposed to be excess. There is no excess. It’s over-sold/ subscribed. Isn’t that a fraud?
Most of northern California won’t benefit from Delta tunnels. No increased ag productivity, water conservation, environmental preservation/ restoration, jobs, or more stable economies come in the north from the tunnels. Benefits from the tunnels will go first to out of town construction companies and building trades workers, not small firms and farm workers. Land values below the tunnels will go up not for ag use, but for building. The water moved through the tunnels doesn’t even have to be used to grow food by those who want it. They can buy cheap and sell it on for a profit. It’s legal.
How will the construction proceed through the levees and through the shipping channel of the San Joaquin River without causing major disruption of shipping traffic and ultimate failures of the levees weakened by the construction. It appears they have already started strengthening Bouldin Island to receive the spoils from the project. Does anyone know if this was the intent of this project?