Noaki Schwartz
COSTA MESA -- CalFed, a consortium of state and federal government
agencies, unveiled Thursday a proposal to solve water-supply and other
environmental problems facing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San
Francisco Bay.
"In Southern California, we take our water for granted," said Orange
County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who served on the Southern California
Water Committee. "It's a precious resource." He added that 75% of north
Orange County's water comes from Northern California.
Through a half-hour film presentation, CalFed detailed its three-phase
program that would identify the problems, study the area's environment
and eventually implement solutions. The goal is ecosystem restoration and
improvements to water quality and water-use efficiency.
The proposal ran into a number of stumbling blocks and was held up for
two years because of differences between concerned groups of farmers,
environmentalists and citizens.
"There are so many players," Spitzer said. "The solution will take
great leadership from the governor."
The information tour will continue until Sept. 23, when CalFed
representatives will refine the program, spokesperson Valerie Holcomb
said. The group hopes to release a final plan in April that should go
into effect in June.
