A Trump administration plan to pump more water to Central Valley farmlands is facing vehement opposition from Democratic members of Congress who represent the Sacramento\u2013San Joaquin River Delta and the Bay Area.<\/p>\n
A group of seven legislators led by Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) said pumping more water will threaten the availability of water for many Californians, disrupt longstanding state-federal cooperation and put the Delta\u2019s native fish at risk.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation\u2019s plan \u201cprioritizes partisan politics over California\u2019s communities and farmers,\u201d Garamendi said. <\/p>\n
\u201cPumping even more water out of the Delta in the middle of worsening droughts isn\u2019t just reckless,\u201d he said. \u201cIt threatens the livelihoods of the people who live and work here, undermines the region\u2019s fragile ecosystems, and jeopardizes the long-term health of our state\u2019s water infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal officials have said the changes, adopted this month following an order by President Trump<\/a> earlier this year, represent an effort to balance the needs of communities, farms and ecosystems. <\/p>\n Large agricultural water agencies, such as Westlands Water District, are supporting the Trump administration plan. Some of the valley\u2019s farmers, who grow crops including pistachios, almonds, grapes and tomatoes, have long condemned state environmental rules as harmful and called for sending more water flowing in aqueducts. <\/p>\n The Bureau of Reclamation said in a summary of the plan<\/a>, called Action 5, that the changes \u201care not expected to result in any significant negative effects to the environment,\u201d and will allow California\u2019s two major water systems \u2014 the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project \u2014 to deliver more water from the Delta south to farming areas and cities.<\/p>\n But the Newsom administration criticized the plan<\/a>, warning that it could threaten fish and reduce the amount of water available for millions of people in other parts of the state. <\/p>\n \u201cAll Californians \u2026 deserve a water supply plan that prioritizes solutions over partisan games,\u201d Garamendi and six other Democratic lawmakers said in a letter<\/a> to Scott Cameron, the Bureau of Reclamation\u2019s acting commissioner. <\/p>\n The group \u2014 which included Reps. Ami Bera, Mark DeSaulnier, Josh Harder, Jared Huffman, Doris Matsui and Mike Thompson \u2014 said they believe the changes will \u201cendanger California\u2019s water supply, disrupt coordinated operations between state and federal agencies, and weaken environmental protections.\u201d<\/p>\n The legislators said \u201cthe long-term sustainability of the Delta\u2019s fresh water supply and ecosystem depends on careful, scientifically backed coordination\u201d between the state and federal water systems, and that pumping more into the aqueducts of the Central Valley Project could force the State Water Project to reduce water exports. <\/p>\n \u201cNot only will this endanger water supply for millions of Californians who rely on the State Water Project, but it will also create uncertainty for the farmers that depend on Delta water,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n Environmental and fishing groups also oppose the plan, saying the federal government is slashing protections for salmon and other fish that are already struggling.<\/p>\n In recent years, the pumping of water has taken a toll on the ecosystem of the Delta and San Francisco Bay. Populations of Chinook salmon<\/a>, steelhead trout<\/a>, Delta smelt<\/a> and other species<\/a> have been declining.<\/p>\n