"....if they could just take all the water they want...why spend billions for a new way to take it. That argument is a little weak."
Maybe..., taken by itself. However, there're just too many watchdogs and regulations for them to take what they want without consequence.
The comment by Moyle and many others, including myself, is about the outright greed involved in dealings with the growers/water contractors and the mistrust coming out of that. One example is the thought that they intend to invest $17 billion on the project. They, growers/water contractors, still have to vote on approving that amount. Even if they do approve, they're only approving payment of constructing the project not cost overruns and/or bond service. Many, not all, of the water contractors have a history of not honoring those promises (no evidence of any contracts involved between the state and the other side, yet). If the debt is not re-paid, we're on the hook.
Another example is the operational plan calling for a maximum intake of 9,000 CFS, yet, the design capacity of the two tunnels is 15,000 CFS. Redundancy/maintenance being the stated reasons for the second tunnel (drain one while maintaining one). Why construct a second tunnel of equal length/size for use during a limited period of time unless the real purpose is to run both at full capacity?? After all, it's not much of a loss of volume to shut one down for that same, limited period. Remember, the limits in the plan can change to expand intake volumes at any time. Not to mention the fact that the operational plan calls for the CVP/SWP pumps at Tracy continue to pull water from the Delta at times....
This subject has been ongoing for some time and there are just too many reasons to list here that should give everyone some concerns about why a document that's now over 50,000 pages long can't provide better answers. Whenever I start reading/thinking about this stuff, I'm reminded of an old saying, "if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bull shit."
Last edited by Darian; 08-04-2017 at 11:34 PM.
"America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."
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