Sushihunter
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/21/EDCK15EHJ5.DTL
To save salmon, stop subsidizing toxic farming
Dave Bitts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
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State and federal water managers are pumping California's most valuable resource as fast as they can, and the consequence - the ecological crash of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - is a catastrophe for us all. Especially hard hit are coastal communities, where salmon fishing has been central to the economy and culture for more than a century.
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To bring back salmon and other native fish, we must stop depleting the delta by sending millions of acre feet of water each year to the western San Joaquin Valley, where corporate megafarms pay pennies for taxpayer-subsidized water to irrigate cotton and other thirsty crops on arid lands with toxic soil. The biggest of these farms are in the Westlands Water District, long the most powerful player in the state's water politics.
A draft report released last Thursday by the National Marine Fisheries Service confirms that the operations of the federal Central Valley Project and the smaller State Water Project, which pump delta water southward, jeopardize the very existence of the state's spring and winter run of Chinook salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon - all endangered or threatened species. Undoubtedly, pumping is devastating the commercially valuable fall run of Chinook as well.
Until two years ago, Chinook from the Sacramento provided most of the year's catch for sports and commercial salmon fishermen in California and Oregon. Historically, the Sacramento has consistently produced far more salmon than any other river south of the Columbia - until the run crashed in the face of record water exports, requiring the closure of all ocean salmon fishing south of Cape Falcon, Ore.
Meanwhile, the state Water Resources Control Board, which is supposed to be protecting the delta fishery, has turned a blind eye to the depredations of the water export agencies, as have the state Department of Fish and Game and the governor's office.
Westlands Water District irrigates hundreds of thousands of acres of semi-arid land that is tainted with selenium, a highly toxic mineral. Irrigation causes selenium to leach out of the soil.
Twenty-five years ago, Westlands dumped its toxic wastewater at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, killing thousands of migratory birds. After the Kesterson disaster came to light, Westlands had a harder time evading the truth about the widespread destruction its irrigation practices caused. But the district farmers haven't learned their lesson.
Westlands says about 100,000 of the most poisoned or poorly draining acres have been taken out of production, and wants taxpayers to pay for a Kesterson-like scheme to drain another 100,000 acres. But federal scientists say the amount of contaminated cropland is closer to half a million acres.
The cheapest and most environmentally sound answer is to take all of the tainted land out of production, which would greatly reduce the amount of water Westlands needs. But the district is in negotiations with the federal mangers of the Central Valley Project for a 50-year contract that would entitle it to more water, not less, which it could then turn around and sell at great profit to water-scarce cities in Southern California. Westlands has the backing of some of the highest-ranking politicians in Washington and Sacramento.
The state Water Resources Control Board has failed to declare irrigation and cultivation of these selenium-tainted soils an unreasonable use of water, although they are now facing a lawsuit brought by sport fishermen over this issue. The state still allows irrigation districts north of Westlands to funnel their wastewater into the lower San Joaquin River. The water board and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board have turned the lower San Joaquin River and the delta into a sewer and all but invited generators of waste to use the delta as a toilet.
We can't continue to promise more water than nature supplies. California has a finite water supply that is already stretched beyond its limits. When are water users and managers going to face facts? Will our fish disappear forever before they do?
Dave Bitts of McKinleyville (Humboldt County) is president of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.
This article appeared on page B - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
To save salmon, stop subsidizing toxic farming
Dave Bitts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State and federal water managers are pumping California's most valuable resource as fast as they can, and the consequence - the ecological crash of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta - is a catastrophe for us all. Especially hard hit are coastal communities, where salmon fishing has been central to the economy and culture for more than a century.
Open Forum
Turning up the heat in Washington 01.21.09
Washington starting to look like the Bay Area 01.21.09
Europe's tempered expectations of Obama 01.21.09
Cleaner-than-thou squabbling hurts energy policy 01.20.09
More Open Forum »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To bring back salmon and other native fish, we must stop depleting the delta by sending millions of acre feet of water each year to the western San Joaquin Valley, where corporate megafarms pay pennies for taxpayer-subsidized water to irrigate cotton and other thirsty crops on arid lands with toxic soil. The biggest of these farms are in the Westlands Water District, long the most powerful player in the state's water politics.
A draft report released last Thursday by the National Marine Fisheries Service confirms that the operations of the federal Central Valley Project and the smaller State Water Project, which pump delta water southward, jeopardize the very existence of the state's spring and winter run of Chinook salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon - all endangered or threatened species. Undoubtedly, pumping is devastating the commercially valuable fall run of Chinook as well.
Until two years ago, Chinook from the Sacramento provided most of the year's catch for sports and commercial salmon fishermen in California and Oregon. Historically, the Sacramento has consistently produced far more salmon than any other river south of the Columbia - until the run crashed in the face of record water exports, requiring the closure of all ocean salmon fishing south of Cape Falcon, Ore.
Meanwhile, the state Water Resources Control Board, which is supposed to be protecting the delta fishery, has turned a blind eye to the depredations of the water export agencies, as have the state Department of Fish and Game and the governor's office.
Westlands Water District irrigates hundreds of thousands of acres of semi-arid land that is tainted with selenium, a highly toxic mineral. Irrigation causes selenium to leach out of the soil.
Twenty-five years ago, Westlands dumped its toxic wastewater at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, killing thousands of migratory birds. After the Kesterson disaster came to light, Westlands had a harder time evading the truth about the widespread destruction its irrigation practices caused. But the district farmers haven't learned their lesson.
Westlands says about 100,000 of the most poisoned or poorly draining acres have been taken out of production, and wants taxpayers to pay for a Kesterson-like scheme to drain another 100,000 acres. But federal scientists say the amount of contaminated cropland is closer to half a million acres.
The cheapest and most environmentally sound answer is to take all of the tainted land out of production, which would greatly reduce the amount of water Westlands needs. But the district is in negotiations with the federal mangers of the Central Valley Project for a 50-year contract that would entitle it to more water, not less, which it could then turn around and sell at great profit to water-scarce cities in Southern California. Westlands has the backing of some of the highest-ranking politicians in Washington and Sacramento.
The state Water Resources Control Board has failed to declare irrigation and cultivation of these selenium-tainted soils an unreasonable use of water, although they are now facing a lawsuit brought by sport fishermen over this issue. The state still allows irrigation districts north of Westlands to funnel their wastewater into the lower San Joaquin River. The water board and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board have turned the lower San Joaquin River and the delta into a sewer and all but invited generators of waste to use the delta as a toilet.
We can't continue to promise more water than nature supplies. California has a finite water supply that is already stretched beyond its limits. When are water users and managers going to face facts? Will our fish disappear forever before they do?
Dave Bitts of McKinleyville (Humboldt County) is president of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.
This article appeared on page B - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
