Talks on drought bill underway on Capitol Hill; Restore the Delta responds

From Michael Doyle at McClatchy News DC and Mark Grossi with the Fresno Bee:

This just inCalifornia’s water future is boiling below the surface this week.

Only the chosen few have a clue about details. Bill documents, currently about 50 pages, are stamped “confidential draft language, do not distribute.” Capitol Hill doors are shut, congressional timetables are opaque and negotiators are strictly mum.

“We’ve taken our vow of secrecy,” Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., said Tuesday. …

Continue reading at McClatchy News here: Talks on drought bill underway on Capitol Hill
Restore the Delta has issued the following press release:

Restore the Delta (RTD), opponents of Gov. Brown’s rush to build Peripheral Tunnels that would drain the Delta and doom salmon and other Pacific fisheries, today criticized Senator Dianne Feinstein for pushing a secret “drought relief” measure to allow more water for Westlands’ and Kern Water Districts’ mega-growers in the midst of a severe drought. “Senator Feinstein is carrying water for industrial growers who have planted tens of thousands of acres of almonds and other permanent crops in the midst of the past several very dry years,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. “Sen. Feinstein is rushing through legislation to aid these growers at the expense of the rest of California. Right now, the head of Westlands Water District is helping write legislation for a massive water grab sponsored by Sen. Feinstein. Californians should be on red alert. ... ”

Read the full press release here:  Delta Tunnel Opponents: Secret Sen. Feinstein Bill to Throw Out Protections for Fisheries, Farms & Humans; Bill Could Help Tunnels Approval

 

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