Page 2 - Streamkeeper's Log Summer 2014

Drought Legislation, Fish & Fishing
2
Current Bill Overview
Water Bond
There is nothing like a big water spending bill during a time of drought to rile up all water interest groups in Sacramento. The water bond was punted in 2010 and negotiations are back now with the governor and legislators proposing alternatives ranging from a $6 billion to $10 billion bond. As we write this newsletter the scope and size of the bond changes almost hourly. For CalTrout we are very supportive of funding for watershed restoration, groundwater storage, Integrated Regional Water Management and water use efficiency measures. We are concerned about funding for water storage, in particular, how much funding and for what purposes does it include groundwater storage.
Past water bond funding has been important to implementing many CalTrout projects. For example, the past water bond (the $5.4 billion Prop. 84, passed in 2006 by 53.9% of the voters) funded important habitat restoration, fish passage and water management work. Specific examples of CalTrout projects supported by past bond bills include those on Hat Creek, in the Eastern Sierra, Shasta River, and on the Eel River.
Proposed water bonds will provide funding for Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) – it’s a clunky term, but this is the new way of water management in California. Water must be managed locally and in a watershed context taking into account multiples uses. IRWM’s programs bring multiple parties together to develop management plans to coordinate water use, funding for water infrastructure needs, and watershed restoration projects. It’s the way California’s water will be managed in the future. And CalTrout is there, leading the IRWM program in Inyo and Mono counties and actively involved in the Upper Sac/McCloud IRWM and the North Coast IRWM.
Photo: Carson Jeffres
Fish need water and CalTrout’s local involvement through our regional offices ensures trout are a priority.
Any potential water bond needs to provide funding for California’s portion of Klamath River Agreements. California is obligated to spend up to $250 million for Klamath dam removal in 2020. This water bond is California’s best chance to fulfill that commitment towards restoring the embattled Klamath River. CalTrout has been a leader in negotiations for the Klamath Agreements and improving river conditions, fish production and community sustainability in the Klamath Basin – historically California’s second largest salmon producer – remains one of our highest priorities.
Any water bond negotiation comes with a big call for water storage. The question is how much money will be allocated to this line item and for what uses would the money be restricted? Do we really need more surface storage? Making reservoirs bigger does not mean they will fill more often. For each million acre feet of storage added only 10% of that water is realized as additional yield for downstream uses.
For CalTrout, when we think storage opportunities we think replenishing groundwater aquifers and restoring Sierra meadows streams to capture snowmelt runoff for slow release during summer months. And if our focus is water yield, we can achieve a lot through water use efficiency, conservation and facility upgrades.