Sacramento -- After seven years in the making, the
$25 billion plan to build two massive tunnels diverting water out of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is up for public review. And one
thing is clear: You better grab your reading glasses.
The 9,000-page Bay Delta Conservation Plan
and 25,000-page environmental impact report pack a hefty punch,
particularly considering the public has 120 days to comment on the
documents, which state officials said contain significant revisions
since first drafts were released this year.
Accompanying executive
summaries and brochures on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan's website
say the proposal, which has the backing of Gov. Jerry Brown,
is an important step in the effort to restore the delta ecosystem and
stabilize the water supply for 25 million Californians and 3 million
acres of farmland from San Jose to San Diego.
"This is a rational,
balanced plan to help meet the needs of all Californians for
generations to come," said California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird in a statement.
The
public-comment period begins Friday and ends April 14. Once it ends,
the state can revise its plan before submitting it to state and federal
wildlife agencies, which will decide whether to issue the necessary
permits to move forward.
read more at SFGate
