EID Joins Coalition Filing Suit against California WaterFix
On August 18, 2017, EID joined a coalition of more than a dozen different water agencies in filing suit against the California WaterFix—otherwise known as the “twin tunnels” project.
Post Date: 09/12/2017 10:15 AM
Contact: Jesse Saich, Public Information Officer, (530) 642-4127, jsaich@eid.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Placerville, Calif. — On August 18, 2017, EID joined a coalition of more than a dozen different water agencies in filing suit against the California WaterFix—otherwise known as the “twin tunnels” project. The project proposes to construct two large tunnels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, beginning near the town of Freeport, to pump water out of the Sacramento River and convey it to the pumps near the town of Tracy for export.
The California WaterFix project is the latest initiative in a decades-long struggle to reconcile the dual objectives of conveying Northern California-originated water through the Delta to agricultural and urban users to the south while protecting the Delta’s habitat and the species that depend upon it.
The lawsuit alleges that the California Department of Water Resources, one of the two applicants seeking approval from the State Water Resources Control Board to add three new points of diversion for the proposed tunnel intakes, failed to adequately analyze the impacts of the proposed project as required by the California Environmental Quality Act.
“EID has joined this coalition and filed suit because we perceive a potential for the WaterFix to adversely impact the water supply portfolio that our customers and community rely upon,” said EID General Counsel Brian Poulsen.
Water agencies all over Northern California fear that the proposed WaterFix Project could reduce water supplies available for diversion and impose limits on storage that could directly affect the available water for use by their customers.
“EID has been actively monitoring the potential impacts of the WaterFix project and we believe it is in the best interests of EID’s ratepayers to join in this lawsuit to defend our community’s water rights,” said EID General Manager Jim Abercrombie.
