A Green Opportunigy - Adaptive Governance

Thanks to Alex for posting the link to Timothy Brink's OpEd in the LA Times. Unfortunately by the time I went there, the note indicated that comments were closed... and there were none to read.

I found one problem with Brink's OpEd. The call to action could be applied to any of the various bills in the California state legislature dealing with Water. The objectives are OK but there are no specifics. So, if you follow the jump, I will give a hint of something that is going on regarding water, the Delta and how it is governed.


To start with, the question of governance is critical to sensible action. The last time we tried to deal with governance, the result was a Cal-FED bureaucracy that lacked the authority, moral or legal, to do anything but it was yet another "compromise" crafted by Sen. Feinstein and so people gave way while it failed.

Right now, the Little Hoover Commission has a committee working on Water Governance. The most recent session was on August 18 and I quote from the meeting notice:

Water rights experts representing state agencies, water conveyors and users, environmental organizations and other areas will discuss the history and current issues within California water rights permitting processes.

They have looked at more than just what has historically been done in California. Presenters to the commission have presented the Utah Model and the Arizona Model. I am not sure what they are, since the presentations are not posted to the public.

So, today, I sent a note to Stuart Drown, the Exec. Dir. of the Commission. In it, I suggested the California Green, Martin Zehr had experience in helping to develop a new model of water governance in New Mexico and asked how we could get that before the commission. (Reminder to self... call the commission on Monday.)

Paul Seeger of the Delta Greens has been looking for a speaker at a meeting on the Delta that he is organizing for Aug. 30. We have tried a number of different tacks, but I think that Martin will be giving a talk on his experience and the idea of Adaptive Governance for water.

Martin cites Adaptive Governance and Water Conflict by John T. Scholz as a source. That should be well worth reading, because the outline of Martin's proposed talk is dynamite. (A comment both on quality and hoped for effect.)

After Martin finalizes the presentation, I will get it posted. I would hope that Paul gets the word out to a wider audience. We need to have more Greens show up and support Paul, and Martin.

What does it take to become an environmental hero?

According to this article in the Sacramento Bee, it takes a lifetime.

You have to give 75-year-old Felix Smith of Carmichael credit for tenacity.

A quarter-century ago, Smith became the conscience of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when he blew the whistle on the selenium poisoning of the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in western Merced County.

I am not sure how many of you understand exactly what is going on. This was a major story and it has, for the most part, slipped into the background and that is where the leadership of the Westlands Water District would like to see it stay. Smith is still active and still involved in this major effort.

In a Jan. 10 letter to water board Chairwoman Tam Doduc, Smith wrote, "Many of the impacts documented in my past letters/complaints continue today. In addition, there are other more ominous concerns and environmental impacts coming to the forefront."

What we really have is the grand lady of compromise, Sen. Feinstein, meeting behind closed doors with the Westlands Water District and trying to shape another compromise like her failed Cal-Fed Plan for exploiting California's Water Resources.

It amazes me that Feinstein can retain her popularity while demonstrating such a lock of integrity or concern for the people of California, that she can gain the attention of the press any time she wants and real hero's like Felix Smith can spend a lifetime fighting for us all and getting little ink.

State Study of Delta may be useless

I need to call your attention to two things. I will deal with the short one first. I added a new link to the Right side menu. It is to a So Cal Water Blog called Aquafornia. The water maven there has accumulated a lot of good information and keeps the story straight.

The second is the fact that I want you all to read an article by Mike Taugher in today's Contra Costa Times. Taugher is one of the better environmental reporters in Northern California. If you are not already convinced (by me, by the LA Times editorial, etc.) that we have a real problem, then the heading to this article should catch your attention.

Scathing scientific review of Delta analysis
Report riddled with problems, essentially useless, panel says

Talk about bureaucratic bs. The report continues....

A key assessment of Delta levees that could lend support for a controversial canal around the region is so flawed that its conclusions are essentially useless, according to a panel of scientists.

In surprisingly harsh language, the review found that the long-awaited report from the state Department of Water Resources must be overhauled before it can be used. It also noted that the report's authors dismissed valid concerns about their work in the past.

The panel "believes strongly that the inadequacies in some of the analyses may lead policymakers and others to erroneous conclusions and inappropriate decisions," according to the Aug. 23 report, obtained this week by the Times.

The Dept of Water Resources (DWR) has a long history of using fake studies to cover their real plans... or their incompetence. Almost every attempt to heal this, especially Sen. Feinstein's grand compromise called CalFed, has been a failure. CalFed failed even before it was implemented.

I encourage all of you to follow the link above and read the whole thing. Then, understand that you need to doubt, to question everything that the State says about their plans for water.