• Delta crisis too serious to delay action on comprehensive water package
SACRAMENTO, CA, Feb. 29, 2008 -- The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) urged lawmakers to continue working with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to reach agreement on a bipartisan plan to address a deepening crisis in the Delta.
"Everyone understands the Delta is rapidly deteriorating," ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn said. "ACWA strongly supports moving forward based on a bipartisan agreement in the Legislature to deal with this crisis.
"Time is not our friend on this issue. Every day is a day of lost water supply and further deterioration of the environment. There are two very good public processes under way, but they are lengthy. The governor's decision to get the ball rolling on environmental documentation makes sense, provided there is opportunity for that work to be informed by negotiations in the Legislature and within the Delta Vision and Bay-Delta Conservation Plan processes.
"Since the governor has directed state agencies to analyze four options for addressing Delta conveyance, there should be plenty of room for negotiations to continue to achieve a comprehensive plan with broad-based support."
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California.
###