CDFW Issues Incidental Take Permits for the Construction and Operation of WaterFix

[OceanSunfish]

Our illustrious Director of the CDFW is the worst Director that agency has ever had....... The many good people that work at that agency, sadly have to chose the necessity of work over what is right.

"As described in the permit application, WaterFix will implement measures for construction and operation of the project to
fully mitigate the impacts of any incidental take of state-listed species, and will provide additional protection through real-time
operation of the facilities in a manner that avoids and minimizes incidental take."

If this were the case, then why can't they design a better fish screen at the current pumping station? Seems like it would be far less expensive to just do that..... but that doesn't provide the entire Sacramento River flowing under the Delta unabated.


http://cms.capitoltechsolutions.com/ClientData/CaliforniaWaterFix/uploads/CWF_website_2081b_072817.pdf

[Darian]

in the coffin of the Delta as we know it. I started reading the document and find it lengthy (as is the Waterfix document). From what little I've read so far, the Delta will be forever changed by construction/operation of Waterfix. The ITP is loaded with proposals to monitor/study impacts on "....native...." Delta species. Any required changes will occur thru ubiquitous adaptive management techniques. Seems to me that the problem with that idea is the by the time monitoring/studies are done that indicate a change is in order, a covered species may already be gone and other species may need to protected. Anyway, more when I've read further....

[Darian]

I received an E-mail from the Resources Agency containing the link to a blog article by UCD'ers Peter Moyle/James Hobbs. Very good read. Resources characterized the article as the authors being optimistic about Waterfix. My take on it was that Waterfix is the best of all of the bad choices evaluated. One part of the article that I really agree with is covered under "trust". Can the state be trusted to stick with what's planned?? Certainly, Waterfix is a gigantic experiment as characterized by the authors. Given the states record on executed large projects on time and within budget, it seems to me that rate/taxpayers are going to shoulder the lions share of total costs and if Moyle/Hobbs are correct, the Delta is in for a rough ride.

https://californiawaterblog.com/2017/08/13/california-waterfix-and-delta-smelt/