Restore the Delta wants its voice heard in water debate

Advocates for the Delta are expressing concern that Governor Schwarzenegger will be appointing four members of the proposed seven-member Delta Stewardship Council. The Council is proposed as part of water legislation unveiled August 4th. The other three members would be appointed from other resources.

The governor favors a peripheral canal (anathema to Delta advocates) and the fear is that the council will fast track canal development.

Restore the Delta out of Stockton is a leader in preserving Delta resources. From the website:

Restore the Delta seeks the reduction of water exports to restore and sustain the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s ecosystem, to protect native and desirable species, to protect public health, and to improve water quality to meet federal and state water standards. Clearly Governor Schwarzenegger is so beholden to his corporate agribusiness supporters on the Westside of the Central Valley that he will use whatever political capital he has left to try to bring about the most expensive water grab in history.

This concern about diverse viewpoints is not new. The Delta Vision Task Force, a previous gubernatorial project, had no representation from San Joaquin County.