The End of Delta Exports

US Fish & Wildlife's new report calls for reduced water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta:

In a typical year, the smelt protections will slash California State Water Project deliveries 20% to 30% -- essentially maintaining the level of cuts ordered this year by a federal judge. Under the worst conditions, that figure could climb to 50%.

These reductions would match the current "temporary" reductions imposed by Judge Wanger, but the report implies that they would be permanent.

Seems like SoCal will have to get used to having less water (as I suggested in my recent post against the peripheral canal). Two ways to minimize the harm from lower water supplies are to allow (perhaps force, via all-in-auctions) trade among water owners and users at the wholesale level and to raise retail, urban prices high enough to curb demand (conservation pricing). It's likely that IID/PVID/CVID water will also be reallocated through eminent domain.

Water managers who do less (e.g., calling for conservation, rationing water, asking for more dams, and wringing their hands) should be fired for timid incompetence.

Whoops -- the governor should also be fired -- he's calling for the PC and more dams (as he has been for the past year).

Bottom Line: Times have changed. It's time to shake up the water status quo in California.

hattip to DW