"California Water Plan Has Less Money for Environmental Restoration"

"OAKLAND, Calif. -- A controversial plan to divert water from above a key California watershed, pushed hard by Governor Jerry Brown as a vital new anchor for the state's drought-parched water system, would involve far less environmental restoration than initially proposed under changes announced on Thursday.

The 70 percent cutback in proposed restoration work for the fragile San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta comes amid acknowledgement by the state that federal environmental officials would not approve California's request for 50 years of guaranteed water removal of water from just above the watershed in the Sacramento River.

At a news conference in Oakland, Brown pitched the reduction in funding as positive, saying his earlier proposal to restore 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares) of wetlands and other parts of the delta was an ideal vision, but that spending far less money to restore 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) was more realistic."

Sharon Bernstein reports for Reuters April 30, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"New $17 Billion Delta Tunnels Plan With Less Environmental Restoration Unveiled By Brown" (San Jose Mercury News)