Defending Delta isn't just about the fish

Just a couple more reminders — straight from those who are living proof — that asking legislators to protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from the voracious needs of Parts Previously Unwatered is not a Fish vs. People issue...

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations:
"The Bay-Delta is not a reservoir; it is the most important estuary on the West coast and gives life to many of our coastal fisheries. With this bill, the health of the delta and our fisheries lies with an unfunded council with no authority. The majority of its members will be appointed by the governor, and Schwarzenegger has made it clear he is willing to drain the delta if it means more water for land speculators and developers. We have little faith this council will support and act on the pressing needs of our delta and our fisheries, especially if it means putting a halt to the south's attempts at a water grab. This back-room, special-interest bill is fishy for sure, but definitely not because it will restore our industry to its former health."
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"Destroying the Bay-Delta, as a peripheral canal and new diversions would do, makes the sheer environmental destruction of Hetch Hetchy Valley pale in comparison."

Larry Collins, president of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association:
"After months of special interests distorting the facts about our water woes, the Legislature went behind closed doors and came up with this stinking dead fish of a package that is sure to continue draining the Delta and killing what is left of our salmon fishery."
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"The simple fact is that this legislation will cause the Delta to collapse and turn the San Francisco Bay estuary into a cesspool, undoing decades of work to restore the Bay to good health. Westlands Water District, private land developers, and the governor all deserve a special place in hell for engineering the destruction of Northern California’s ecosystems."

Real strong words from real people who will be hit hard by the continued damming, draining and diverting of the Delta. And let's not forget those who actually call the Delta home.