Arnold The Fish Terminator: Schwarzenegger Campaigns For Delta Canal, More Dams

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Dan Bacher

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ramped up his campaign to build a peripheral canal and more water storage facilities with four major press conferences at San Luis Reservoir on July 16, Twitchell Island in the Delta on July 17, Long Beach on July 23 and San Diego on July 24.

His proposal for the canal – and more “research” on Delta smelt - drew intense criticism from Restore the Delta and fishing groups now battling to stop the collapse of Delta smelt and other fish populations, the result of increasing water exports in the past several years.

After taking a Delta tour with Department of Water Resources (DWR) officials and others in the Twitchell Island area on July 17, the Governor directed DWR to “take immediate action steps” to “improve conditions” in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, to help restore its natural habitat and “protect” the Delta smelt and other species.

“Today, I am calling for actions to help restore the Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast and home to hundreds of native plant and animal species,” exhorted the Governor, trying to add a green veneer to his latest call for the canal and more water storage facilities. “The Delta is also one of the most vulnerable areas of our state. It faces dangers of contamination from a natural disaster or rising sea levels. And, we saw an example of its vulnerability when we had to shut off the pumps for nine days to protect the threatened Delta smelt.”

Appearing with the Governor at the “photo opportunity” were Lester Snow, director of the Department of Water Resources, Assemblyman Dave Cogdill, Assemblyman Guy Houston, Susan Kennedy, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, and others.

One of the “actions” he pinpointed was “to improve research on the Delta Smelt,” – completely ignoring the massive increases in water exports that state and federal scientists and conservationists consider to be the number one factor behind the dramatic decline in four Delta pelagic species – Delta smelt, longfin smelt, threadfin shad, and juvenile striped bass.

“State and federal agencies will upgrade and continue operation of a smelt culture laboratory,” he said.

In response to a question that I posed about what he was going to do to prevent delta smelt from becoming extinct, he responded, “We shut the pumps down 9 days this year. We are looking at various new technologies to employ so that the smelt won’t go through the pumps.”