California Water Wars

Instead of a peripheral canal, California Governor Jerry Brown and the US Government have announced plans to build a pair of peripheral tunnels.

Under the plan, two huge, side-by-side underground tunnels would carry fresh water 37 miles from the Sacramento River under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, to giant federal and state pumps at Tracy. The tunnels, each larger than 33 feet in diameter — would have the capacity to divert about 67,500 gallons of water a second, a pace that would fill six Olympic-sized swimming pools every minute.

The project construction cost alone would be 14 billion dollars.

The usual water sucking interests are thrilled with the plan while delta residents, environmental groups and Northern California legislators say the tunnels could severely damage the delta ecosystem and agriculture-based economy.

LINK (via: The Washington Post)