An alternative idea is to build a desalination plant further west near Martinez or San Pablo Bay and pump that water down the San Joaquin Valley to fill aquifers and restore depleted groundwater, NOT to reward agribusinesses for growing crops that require too much water!

Desalination for the delta may be needed in the future as sea level rises. However, it is certain that the delta ecosystem CANNOT SURVIVE if freshwater is removed by the tunnel/canal proposal of Gov. Jerry Brown.





Sea-level rise

Sea-level rise occurs because of two natural processes that have been occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 10,000 years ago. The first is the expansion of the oceans, which increase in volume as they absorb atmospheric and land-generated heat. The second is the melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets that occupy vast areas of Greenland and Antarctica.

In the past 10 to 15 years, the rate of global sea-level rise has increased by about 50 percent and is now averaging three millimeters per year. Human-induced global warming is a major contributor to this accelerated rise. In California, we are likely to experience a sea-level rise of about 16 inches by 2050 and about 55 inches by 2100 — and much more after that.[5] These estimates are based on ranges that correspond to several global greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. In the highest-emission scenario, the range of estimated end-of-century sea-level rise is between 43 and 69 inches.[6] (see Figure 2)

The degree of sea-level rise in the region depends on land subsidence or tectonic uplift. Some communities of the South Bay, which heavily extracted groundwater up through the 1960s, have sunk below today's sea level by as much as 13 feet. Parts of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta that have been heavily channelized, diked, eroded, and oxidized are now 25 feet below sea level. Areas that are sinking or losing land area or wetlands to erosion will experience the impacts of sea-level rise sooner and perhaps with greater intensity.

Most of the near-term damage we expect on developed areas will be from storm conditions that occur at the same time as high tides. Storms cause extreme lows in air pressure, allowing the sea level to instantaneously rise above predicted tides. Storms also increase winds, especially onshore winds, that cause bigger, more erosive waves. Finally, they bring rain, which increases water volume in creeks and rivers. Approximately 40 percent of California's land drains to San Francisco Bay, which means that storm floods will last longer here than in higher-elevation regions. Under existing conditions, the combination of high tides, storm surges, and river flooding can raise water levels in the delta by 51 inches for as long as a day.[7] As sea levels rise, low-lying areas protected by already fragile levees will face even greater risk.

http://www.planning.org/planning/2012/jan/waterwarriorsside2.htm




One last thought for trying to have farms and water for fish;

indigenous drought tolerant cash crops;

tepary bean (high protein)

jojoba (industrial oil)

nopales cactus (wine, jam, fruit, etc...)


All these crops can be grown in the San Joaquin Valley with little water needed. Why not subsidize farmers for growing drought tolerant crops instead of building peripheral canal/tunnels that will only cause further ecological devastation?





"Incredibly drought-resistant tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius)

These beans are an important crop for American Indians in the arid southwest part of the USA. If seeds are planted at a time when the soil is moist, plants grow quickly and will produce well even if there is no rain after they bloom. Because tepary bean is adapted to very arid conditions only, it is not suited to climates with high humidity and frequent rains, where diseases harm or kill the vines. Drought-resistance is mentioned in AZ 89."

http://www.echonet.org/content/100difficultConditions/737/incredibly_drought_resistant_tepary_beans_phaseolus_acutifolius_


The jojoba plant (jojoba simmondsia chinensis shrub) is grown and harvested in desert climates and produces seeds that are crushed to extract a liquid often referred to as jojoba "oil".

Jojoba oil is different than other plant seed oils known as triglyceride oils. Specifically, Jojoba oil is a true wax. It is the only known botanical wax which is liquid at room temperature.

Jojoba has been used for centuries as a natural skin moisturizer. Jojoba plants are very well adapted to controlling moisture loss which allows them to survive in dry conditions.

An estimated 5,000 tons of jojoba is used in personal care products manufactured around the world.

http://www.ijec.net/jojoba_facts.html

Nopal cactus have large paddles that grow at random angles. The paddles of some varieties grow as large as 16 inches long and 9 inches wide. The fruit that grows from the tip of each fresh paddle is called a prickly pear. Nopal cactus paddles and fruit are grown and harvested for culinary uses, though the sharp spines require careful preparation before cooking. Nopal cactus grow readily in hot dry climates, and as a house plant, this prickly desert dweller needs minimal care.

http://www.gardenguides.com/119160-care-nopal-cactus-plant.html




What happens when Gov. Jerry Brown wants to "Get Shit Done" against the will of the people?


Sounds like "California Uber Alles" as predicted by the Dead Kennedys years ago has come to pass!!

"You will croak you little clown, if you mess with President Brown!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW8UlY8eXCk

Geo observer satellites have shown no such rise in global sea level. Yes, it is tectonic movement as always, shifting this planet's crust as it will until the Earth becomes a cold body without magma convection currents.
I keep hearing and seeing the usual mantra about 'human caused climate change' even as the fraud of the ICC UN climate 'research' has been proven to be a hoax in order to yoke the world's people with a carbon tax
piss off

Let's break this down.
First, the total lie ( you notice the lack of supporting non-interested data ) about sea level rise. Where the hell did this author get this evaluation? Very curious, indeed. Literally.
Then the cutesy cuddly info directed to the green movement in order to provide a cloak of ecology friendly information to lure the genuine Earth Shepard into a ridiculous fraud. Particularly in the face of a declining global temperature. For the last decade. Personally, I believe the dark network which runs this ruinous cancer of a growing empire, are waging weather war upon us with chemtrails and HAARP which would account for the freak weather. To grind us into this criminal carbon tax while they proceed with their population reduction, wealth redistribution and martial state protocols.
People who aid and abet these protocols, need to have criminal charges placed upon them for conspiracy to murder and defraud the people of Earth.

Another option is to set the levees further back and restore the riparian floodplain. This is more effective at preventing flooding than are taller or fatter levees. Simply give the rivers more room to meander and enter the floodplain during high stage flood events and they will return water to the aquifer once settled. The greater width of the river with a setback levee will give the water more space to spread out instead of rushing down a tight channel where pressure can weaken a levee.

Many other places have made the wise choice of installing setback levees on their rivers, gaining the following once in place;

enhanced riparian floodplain habitat (oxbow lakes, willows, wetlands, cottonwoods, oaks, etc...)

no (extremely low) risk of flooding

restored meander of riverbed enhances flow

return water to riparian aquifers from settlement basins (oxbow lakes, wetlands, etc...)


background;



set-back levee

Levees that are constructed at a distance from the river channel in order to allow the river to occupy a portion of its floodplain; these levees are usually smaller in size than levees placed immediately adjacent to the river channel. SEE ALSO: levee, natural levee.

http://www.sacramentoriver.org/glossary.php?glossary_id=66


Some places have begun installing setback levees;

Project overview

The Cedar Rapids Levee Setback Repair Project will repair the existing Cedar Rapids setback levees along both the left and right banks of the Cedar River.

The project is located within the Cedar Rapids Natural Area on the Cedar River between river mile 7.2 and 7.4. The levee setback modification along the left bank will occur between river mile 7.2 and 7.4, and the revetment setback project on the right bank will occur at river mile 7.25. These river locations roughly correspond to the 17600 block of State Route 169 (Maple Valley Highway) on the left bank, and Southeast Jones Road on the right bank.

A buried rock toe will be installed along the riverward face of the left (south) bank. On the right (north) bank, a short segment of the upstream end of the Brassfield Revetment will be set back and will tie into the Cedar Rapids Setback Levee. Large angular rock placed in the channel during a 2011 emergency project will be incorporated into the new facility. Native trees and shrubs will be planted to restore the areas impacted by this project.


Project goals;

Flood damage reduction:
◦
home buyouts to remove from harm's way

◦
increase flood capacity of the reach

◦
continue flood protection of adjacent properties


•
Salmon recovery through habitat improvements

•
Design that addresses recreational uses

•
2012 goals are to repair existing levee to provide adequate erosion protection

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wlr/sections-programs/river-floodplain-section/capital-projects/cedar-rapids.aspx


Bear River setback levee;

•Project Objectives:◦Replace weakened levee with setback levee
◦Establish a stable, vegetated riverbank
◦Increase wildlife habitat


The Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority is working to improve levees on the Yuba, Feather, and Bear Rivers in the Sacramento Valley. The existing levees provide flood protection for approximately 16,000 acres of farms and urban land, including 25,000 current residents and 12,000 future households in the planned residential development of Plumas Lake.

In 2005, Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority broke ground on the construction of the Bear River Setback levee, which was designed to replace an existing levee that was weakened by major structural deficiencies. The setback levee portion of the improvements is approximately 9,600 feet long and replaced portions of the Bear River and Feather River levees at the confluence of the two rivers. The old levees were removed and used for construction of the new setback levee.

Benefits of the setback levee range from public safety to environmental. The new levee has been designed to provide a 200-year level of flood protection; Yuba County will be the first urban area in the Central Valley to offer 200-year flood protection. In addition, a partnership with River Partners resulted in the planting of 1 million shrubs and trees in the setback area, which is critical to preventing erosion in the expanded floodway. Approximately 600 acres of wildlife habitat have been created, benefiting several threatened and endangered species, including Swainson’s hawk, yellowbilled cuckoo, valley elderberry longhorn beetle, and Chinook salmon.

http://www.sacriver.org/aboutwatershed/roadmap/projects/bear-river-setback-levee-project


"For a variety of reasons River Partners is supportive of moving levees back from the river and we are involved in a number of levee setback projects. One of the reasons that we support levee setbacks is that it allows the river to follow its natural course of meandering across the floodplain.

In all but the steepest mountain cascades, rivers will meander. In lower gradient valleys, such as the Sacramento and San Joaquin for much of their length, a river’s physical imperative to meander is the greatest.

When rivers are denied the space to meander due to levees, rock revetments, or other impediments, many beneficial river services are diminished. In their natural state, rivers are dynamic ecosystems, supplying the floodplain with soil and nutrients for its diverse riparian habitats and in turn providing organic materials to aquatic species. The meandering river and its floodplain temporarily store excess floodwater and recharge ground water and reduce stream velocities.

Meander bends often form oxbow lakes that eventually fill with soil and vegetation and serve as traces of the river’s previous courses. These oxbows and the meandering river give definition to the land, providing a characteristic “riverscape.”

Beyond the ecological and aesthetic benefits, setback levees make sense economically as well. Allowing a river to meander avoids the expenses involved in maintaining the levees and rock revetments designed to hold a river in place. Further, when denied the space to meander, floodwaters are often “funneled” down stream, leading to increased flood damage, greater downstream shoreline erosion and channel incision.

Once a levee is setback, the river may begin to meander and this poses a challenge to implementing riparian restoration on the floodplain. River Partners works with engineers to plan the restoration design. For example, Eric Larsen of UC Davis has constructed model scenarios that simulate the future migration of the river given different restraint conditions. The application of such models is an integral part of the scientific approach that River Partners takes to restoring native vegetation on dynamic riparian floodplains."

http://www.riverpartners.org/news-and-events/newsletters/200906_LeveeSetbacks.html

http://www.watereducation.org/userfiles/BDT09Gaines.pdf



The peripheral canal represents Gov. Jerry Brown reaching out to the agribusiness lobbyists. The agribusiness lobby of the San Joaquin Valley will steal water from wherever they can before they will change their wasteful ways. However, as i have stated numerous times, there are drought tolerant cash crops available for them to grow if only their human stubborness and resistance to science and logic can be overcome. That willfull ignorance on the part of the San Joaquin agribusiness lobby is the greatest challenge yet to be overcome. In the end truth and logic shall prevail over greed, deception and stupidity. The San Joaquin agribusinesses will fail and collapse if they do not begin converting to drought tolerant cash crops in a timely manner.

In addition to setback levees it would be vital for San Joaquin farms to convert to drought tolerant cash crops; tepary bean, jojoba and nopales. These do not require water inputs to the degree as their current crops, and farmers can drastically reduce their water demand while continuing to profit from their drought tolerant crops.

"Jojoba: A Potential Desert Oil Crop

Jojoba, [Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider] is a new oil-producing industrial crop that has attracted much attention in recent years. Jojoba oil is unique in nature. No other plant is known to produce oil like jojobas. It is used in the cosmetic, medical, pharmaceutical, food products, manufacturing, and automotive industries (as lubricant). And it is a renewable energy resource. It is remarkable to note that, in spite of the variability in size or where grown, each jojoba seed contains an average of 50% pure oil by volume. Jojoba is native to the semiarid regions of southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. Now Jojoba is being cultivated in Israel and Rajasthan, India to provide a renewable source of unique high-quality oil. Much of the interest in jojoba worldwide is the result of the plant's ability to survive in a harsh desert environment. Jojoba can be grown as an oil-producing cash crop. Jojoba is very drought-resistant and can be grown on marginal lands without replacing any existing crops. Fully mature shrubs or trees can reach a height of 15 feet with a potential natural life span of 100 to 200 years depending on environmental conditions. For optimum production, the crop needs irrigation, care, and a good cultivar."

http://www.jatrophaworld.org/jojoba_85.html



Not only is the nopal cactus drought tolerant and indigenous to the southwestern desert, it is also a potential prevention food against diabetes;

Nopal Cactus for Diabetes

February 22, 2012 Written by JP

Next week I’ll be taking my work on the road. More specifically, I’ll head down south to Mexico for a fact finding mission and informational exchange. One of the planned areas of discussion will focus on an edible cactus commonly known as nopal or nopales, as diabetes and prediabetic conditions (i.e. metabolic syndrome) are quickly reaching an epidemic level in Mexico. Nopales, when eaten as a part of one’s daily diet, may offer a valuable tool in turning the diabetes tide in Mexico and beyond.

In 2008, a scientific review of the “Risks and Benefits of Commonly Used Herbal Medicines in Mexico” was published in the journal of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. The authors of the summary note that, “nopal leaves have a high content of fiber and pectin” and thereby increase “the viscosity of food in the gut, slowing or reducing sugar absorption”. Current research presented in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology goes on to report that extracts of nopales also inhibit the activity of the enzyme alpha-glucosidase which digests dietary starch and sugar. This is a mechanism shared by select anti-diabetic medications such as acarbose (Precose) and miglitol (Glyset).

http://www.healthyfellow.com/1096/nopal-cactus-for-diabetes/


Finally the tepary bean gives more protein for less water;

Grown during the blistering hot summer of the Sonoran Desert, tepary beans are one of the most heat and drought resistant crops in the world. The same adaptations that allow them to thrive in harsh desert conditions make them incredibly healthy. They are extremely high in protein and very low on the glycemic index (29). As a result, they help regulate blood sugar levels and are particularly good for diabetics and others concerned about he impacts of simple carbohydrates on their health.

http://www.tocaonline.org/Oodham_Foods/Entries/2011/8/1_Learn_about_Oodham_Foods__Bawi_(Tepary_Beans).html