Greenwire: The administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and California Central Valley farm interests are backing a proposal to create a $3.3 billion dam and reservoir on the San Joaquin River that would be the state’s biggest water project in more than 30 years.
While farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are pushing for the Temperance Flat project to address some of their water issues, some are questioning whether taxpayers should keep subsidizing water projects that primarily benefit state agribusiness, especially during a budget crisis in Sacramento.
“Let’s spend it where it would have the biggest effect: conservation and efficiency,” said Peter Gleick, president of the Oakland, Calif.-based Pacific Institute. “It’s a fallacy to believe all we have to do is build a couple of big dams and our problems will be over” (Bettina Boxall, Los Angeles Times, March 9). – DFM