Charles Burt: We can't restore the Delta by squeezing agriculture

From the Sacramento Bee

By Charles Burt
Special to The Bee
Published: Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009 – 12:00 am | Page 5E

When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared that the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was in a worsening crisis that threatened statewide economic and ecological disaster, he set in motion a process to cure a “sickness” before it spread throughout California.

The governor created a special Delta Vision Task Force in 2006 to achieve what were called two co-equal goals: restore the Delta and make California’s water supply more reliable.

The flurry of water bills being debated by the Legislature makes this clear, since the core proposals focus on restoration of the Delta. Regardless of Sacramento politics, the Delta environment will still dominate decisions because the federal Endangered Species Act and other regulations give the environment priority over human needs.

U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger emphasized that point in his decision on Delta smelt. He stated that the Endangered Species Act requires protecting species, “whatever the cost.” Therefore, until the Endangered Species Act is changed, the co-equal goals of the task force cannot be met.

Charles Burt, Ph.D., is chairman of the Irrigation Training and Research Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

For more see: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/2146798.html