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Public Records Request show MWD was lobbying heavily last year to override Endangered Species Act

Read original story here. S. Calif. water district exerts heavy influence on legislative negotiations Debra Kahn, E&E reporter E&E Daily: Friday, March 27, 2015 As congressional talks continue over California’s historic drought, one participant in the negotiations has been more influential than it has claimed. Metropolitan Water District, a consortium of 26 public agencies that supplies water to 19 million people in Southern California, sent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) proposals for managing the state’s water that made it into bills that passed both houses last year, according to documents obtained through a California Public Records Act request. Emails between Met staff, Feinstein’s staff and others also reveal extensive negotiations last year over a draft bill [...]

Our Responds to Westlands Water District Secret Settlement

Restore the Delta Responds to Westlands Water District Secret Settlement; Trawl Survey Shows Delta Smelt Population At All Time Low           Taxpayers Should Not Have to Shoulder Westlands’ Water District’s Debt Or Give Up More Water While System Is At Risk Sacramento, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom sustainable farms, salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to the prospect of a secret settlement of the debt Westlands Water District owes to US taxpayers and the near extinction presently of Delta smelt. Statement by Restore the Delta Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla:            “The idea that the Westlands Water [...]

News from Restore the Delta: 2/19/2014

“Go not for every grief to the physician, nor for every quarrel to the lawyer, nor for every thirst to the pot.” – George Herbert So much has happened in the first six weeks of 2014 that anyone may be forgiven for feeling dazed and confused. To help you sort out one thread of events, we’re providing a chronology of drought-related developments, with some details about what is in the various declarations and bills. We’ll leave it to you to see some of the interesting connections. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan has been pushing forward with tightly-structured open houses around the state. Smiling acolytes display glossy foam boards and shiny brochures full of errors, and if you want to make [...]

Media Alert: Articles, Television, & Cartoons of Interest

Media Alert: Articles, Television, & Cartoons of Interest Articles and TV coverage include Restore the Delta and advocates from rally during President Obama’s visit in Fresno on 2/14/2014. River News Herald cartoon Deltastruction More cartoons: Fresno related follow 2/14/14 Sacramento Bee Ohman: GEP1LO1Q5.3 2/16/14 Sacramento Bee Ohman: Obama 11 Calif. water politics complicate Brown’s decisions Sacramento Bee-Feb 15, 2014 “This is not about picking between delta smelt and long fin smelt and … executive director of Restore the Delta, which is fighting the tunnel plan. TV coverage: President Obama Announces Plan to Drought-Stricken California President Barack Obama visited California Friday to discuss the federal response to California’s drought problem Patrick Healy NBC 4 Los Angeles Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla [...]

Gov. Brown Sings from Mega-Growers’ Hymnal, Tries to Bully Federal Scientists into Approving Tunnels, State Mismanagement of Water Helped Cause Shortage

For Immediate Release: January 31, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546; [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft; @MrSandHillCrane; Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053; [email protected]; Twitter: @RestoretheDeltaGov. Brown Sings from Mega-Growers’ Hymnal, Tries to Bully Federal Scientists into Approving Tunnels, State Mismanagement of Water Helped Cause ShortageSacramento, CA- Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today responded to Gov. Brown’s statement Thursday that he urged President Obama to get federal scientists to suspend their expert judgment and approve his tunnels.“It is outrageous that Governor Brown is using the drought to push the president to override federal biologists who think the water tunnels are too risky,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla.  “The [...]