header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
January 20
1993 - Hart High grad Dee Dee Myers (1979) becomes first female White House press secretary [story]
Dee Dee Myers


By Nick Cahill, Courthouse News

SAN JOSE (CN) – The $17 billion “California WaterFix” project reached a tipping point Tuesday after a Silicon Valley water district voted against Gov. Jerry Brown’s approach in favor of a less expensive, scaled-back version.

The San Jose-based Santa Clara Valley Water District agreed to “conditionally support” California WaterFix – a plan to divert water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta through a pair of 40-foot-wide, 35-mile-long tunnels – but said the state will have to consider cheaper alternatives before the district can commit hundreds of millions to the water project.

“It’s clearly going to be a smaller project than what was originally proposed,” said board member Gary Kremen.

Under the current plan, local water suppliers would pay for most of the estimated $17 billion project, passing the cost on to ratepayers. Santa Clara board members said they are wary of the potential for cost overruns with a project that could take more than 10 years to complete.

Brown met with some board members and Silicon Valley business advocates last week in an attempt to drum up support for the contentious plan, and also called the water board’s chairman Monday night.

Yet board members remain skeptical of the two-tunnel approach and the financial risks associated with the project. In the end, the water district said it would prefer a one-tunnel solution.

“I’m open to negotiating, I’m not open to a blank checkbook,” board member Dick Santos said.

Support for the plan championed by Brown is suddenly wavering. A pair of audits questioned the plan’s financial viability and last month the state’s largest irrigation district pulled out of the effort to replumb the West Coast’s largest estuary.

The recent setbacks are forcing the state to consider a smaller approach.

San Joachin-Sacramento River Delta | Photo: Courthouse News

Santa Clara Valley Water District chairman John Varela said Tuesday that Brown’s administration is “open to the idea of a single tunnel.” Varela said he has talked with both Brown and Natural Resources secretary John Laird about the “scope” of the project.

Nonetheless, Brown and Laird painted the water district’s vote as a win for the Delta Tunnels and said they are not throwing in the towel on the decades-old project mired in the planning stage.

“The board’s vote today is a major step forward for California WaterFix and ensures that Santa Clara will have the water it desperately needs,” Brown said in a statement.

Laird said the unanimous vote “adds to the momentum we’ve seen in the last two weeks as local agencies around the state have seen the value of WaterFix and formally voted to participate in the project.”

Environmentalists have tagged the WaterFix as a “boondoggle” and an existential threat to the delta’s ecosystem. They warn that diverting freshwater flows from the delta will degrade water quality to the detriment of endangered salmon and other fish species.

“These contradictory views of Santa Clara Valley’s vote reveal the deep disarray that this project is in,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta executive director. “Gov. Brown wants to sell the vote as a win. Yet, Santa Clara’s support is for something other than California WaterFix.”

The project, while still in the planning stages, has been approved by state and federal fisheries agencies and construction could begin as soon as 2018.

Supporters say the project is necessary to renovate the state’s water infrastructure and protect the delta’s levees from earthquakes and climate change. Brown notes the plan has been subjected to more environmental review than “any other project in the world” and is critical to California’s future water supply.

The state is also fighting a series of lawsuits filed this summer by environmental groups and Northern California municipalities opposed to the project. The petitioners want the courts to throw out the state’s environmental certification and halt one of the largest public works projects in state history.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
Stream TypeLIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Friday, Jan 17, 2025
Friday, Jan 17, 2025
Repopulation Efforts in Eaton, Palisades Fire Areas, 27 Fire Deaths Reported
Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department have reported that containment efforts continue for all three activie fires still burning in Southern California.
Friday, Jan 17, 2025
Vince Ferry Named Hart Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services
The William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board approved the appointment of Vince Ferry as the new Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1993 - Hart High grad Dee Dee Myers (1979) becomes first female White House press secretary [story]
Dee Dee Myers
1967 - Original airing of Star Trek "Arena" Episode: Kirk battles the Gorn commander (Saugus resident Bobby Clark) at Vasquez Rocks [watch]
Kirk vs. Gorn commander
1899 - Martin & Richard Wood buy J.H. Tolfree's Saugus Eating House (still inside Saugus Depot), rename it Saugus Cafe [story]
Saugus Cafe
Fritz Coleman’s show "Unassisted Living," in Residency at the El Oortal Monroe Forum in North Hollywood, will be performed on Sunday, Jan. 26 t0 benefit the California Community Foundation Wildlife Recovery Fund with 100% of all profits raised donated to the fund.
Jan. 26: Fritz Coleman’s ‘Unassisted Living’ to Benefit Wildfire Recovery Fund
The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will hold a business meeting Wednesday, Jan. 22, beginning at 5 p.m. The board will first meet in closed session at 3 p.m.
Jan. 22: COC Board Business Meeting
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau continues its dedicated efforts to locate individuals reported missing following the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires.
LASD Reports 17 Still Missing in L.A. Area Wildfires
The Canyon Theatre Guild opens the Broadway musical, "West Side Story" on Saturday, Jan. 18 on stage at the community theater in Old Town Newhall.
‘West Side Story’ Opens at the Canyon Theatre Guild
The William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board has unanimously approved the appointment of Jordan Meraz as the new Director of Technology Services.
Jordan Meraz Named Hart Director of Technology Services
The American Red Cross is offering financial assistance for families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Los Angeles County wildfires. Assistance available to those affected by Eaton, Palisades, Hurst and Kenneth fires.
Red Cross Offers Financial Assistance to Fire Victims
Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department have reported that containment efforts continue for all three activie fires still burning in Southern California.
Repopulation Efforts in Eaton, Palisades Fire Areas, 27 Fire Deaths Reported
Newhall Escrow, founded in 1963, has announced its acquisition by Santa Clarita Valley real estate professional Christian Lazore.
Newhall Escrow Changes Hands
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman has announced that charges have been filed against eight additional individuals in connection with eight alleged crimes committed during Los Angeles County’s devastating wildfires.
County DA Charges Nine with Crimes During Wildfires
The William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board approved the appointment of Vince Ferry as the new Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Vince Ferry Named Hart Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services
California State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman have announced a rapid response effort to prevent and prosecute insurance fraud targeting wildfire survivors.
Officials Announce Efforts to Protect Wildfire Victims from Insurance Fraud
1994, 4:31 a.m. - Magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake rocks Santa Clarita Valley [video]
collapsed freeway bridge
At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Santa Clarita City Council appointed a number of individuals to fill vacancies on city commissions.
New Commissioners Appointed by Santa Clarita City Council
The Salvation Army Santa Clarita Valley Corps provides social services, including food, shelter, clothing and financial assistance. According to Salvation Army Santa Clarita Valley Corps Captain Rafael Viana, Officer in Charge, the organization has now focused its concentration on helping the specific needs of those affected in the Los Angeles area wildfires.
Salvation Army SCV Corps Works to Assist Fire Victims
In partnership with DreamUp, three teams, one from SCVi in the Santa Clarita Valley and two from iLEAD Hybrid Exploration, have been selected to send experiments to the International Space Station.
SCVi, iLEAD Selected to Send Student Experiments to Space
The city of Santa Clarita and Green Santa Clarita will host a class on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 9-10 a.m., regarding the importance of rainwater harvesting and proper installation and maintenance of rain barrels.
Feb. 22: Rain Barrel Class, Purchase Program
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency will hold its regular board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21 starting at 6 p.m.
Jan. 21: SCV Water Agency Regular Board Meeting
The Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library will host a adults decorate a tote bag activity, 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 at 18601 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country, CA 91351.
Jan 18: Adults Decorate a Tote Bag at Canyon Country Library
Irit Specktor and the Studio K'tan Flamenco Dance Academy presents "Flamencommunity", a flamenco dance and music event, 8-9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 at the MAIN, 24266 Main Street Santa Clarita, CA 91321.
Feb. 7:  K’tan Flamenco Dance Academy Presents ‘Flamencommunity’
As a father of two young children, I understand how crucial it is to be an active and informed parent in today’s world. The challenges our kids face are more complex than ever and I believe it’s our responsibility to equip them with the tools they need to make healthy choices.
Jason Gibbs | Parenting for Prevention In-Person Meeting
SCVNews.com