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CSPA and the Butte Environmental Council request north state water districts not be exempt from Environmental Impact Report in requested water transfers

May 30, 2008. CSPA and the Butte Environmental Council (BEC) have filed objections to the request for transfer by the South Feather River Power and Water of 10,000 cubic acre feet of water from the  Feather river to the State Water Contractor's Authority. The water would be put up for sale, possibly to agencies in the southern portion of the state.

In a similar move, CSPA and the BEC filed objections for the request by Browns Valley Irrigation District to transfer 3,100 cubic acre feet of water from the North Yuba River to the Santa Clara Water District.

CSPA and BEC's response emphasized that, "Habitat values are essential to many special status species that utilize the aquatic and/or riparian landscape including, but not limited to, giant gartersnake, bank swallow, greater sandhill crane, fall and spring- run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead trout, American shad, green sturgeon, etc."

In responding to the South Feather River Water request, CSPA and BEC commented that, "Removing water from currently healthy watersheds and basins to continue supplying water to agricultural interests in desert portions of the state and depleted urban areas is an act of folly at best and of immorality and corruption at worst. This type of transfer will alter the economic and environmental viability in the areas of origin and will not encourage the receiving areas to practice holistic management of the resources found in their own region, nor will it prepare them for periods of drought."

In summing up the Brown's Valley application, CSPA and BEC responded that, "BVID’s paltry examination of the Project and faulty conclusions fail to comply with the most essential review and disclosure requirements of CEQA and NEPA, thereby depriving decision makers and the public of the ability to consider the relevant environmental issues in any meaningful way (details above). Rather, BVID swept critical evidence regarding the Project’s impacts under the carpet, in violation of CEQA and NEPA, in what appears to be an attempt to avoid preparation of an EIR/EIS."

(Read Brown Irr. Dist. comments)

(Read So. Feather River Comments)