Thank you to all who continue to support this effort!
In November, a preliminary court ruling provided a partial win for those trying to save Del Puerto Canyon. Part of the environmental impact report for the proposed Del Puerto Reservoir was ruled to be insufficient, sending Del Puerto Water District back to the drawing board. However, DPWD has said they intend to resubmit another EIR and push the reservoir forward once again. Also, after the judge issues his final ruling in a few months, multiple sides may decide to appeal. Save Del Puerto Canyon is trying to raise funds to help defend the canyon during this next phase, and donations are greatly appreciated!
Gofundme.com page managed by The Green Incubator: https://gofund.me/b6a5c9e9
For many, this fight might seem like a highly-localized and far off affair. But let’s take a brief revisit about what’s at stake. Should a few, very wealthy people who can already take land access for granted be able to decide how much green space others should or shouldn’t have access to in civic planning? Should decisions like where teachers bring class field trips or where students can do fieldwork be changed on a dime when someone with more means decides to acquire hundreds of acres and move a public roadway (https://geotripper.blogspot.com/2020/01/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-problem.html)? Should some be able to view open spaces known to have diverse communities of wildlife and archaeological sites as blank slates free to cover with developments of their choosing?
Several years ago, Patterson’s planning commission received data indicating a significant number of underserved youth were wanting for safe green spaces (https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/projects/3/). However, plans to create more open spaces closer to town were shelved in favor of development. Even now, in spite of protests by members of the Patterson School District and other service providers for more moderate expansion and support to handle the additional demand, private landowners with parcels comparable to some small towns are working with real estate interests to fuel rapid growth within the next few years (https://www.kcra.com/article/families-educators-patterson-cant-support-new-housing-projects/39644086, https://www.ttownmedia.com/patterson_irrigator/district-leaders-express-concerns-about-development/article_0adf0a1a-8f6f-11ec-9b5f-8f6e3c2e4cc1.html). In this context, the underdeveloped roadsides along Del Puerto Canyon just on the other side of I-5 have provided residents with spontaneous recreational and roaming opportunities. There have even been proposals to turn the first five miles of Del Puerto Canyon west of I-5 into a multi-use, publicly accessible recreation area. DPWD decided to push through plans for an agribusiness reservoir right on top of this part of the canyon. The water pumped into Del Puerto Reservoir from the Delta Mendota Canal would be primarily sold to agribusinesses instead of being available for local residents to use, and there are currently no plans for public recreation in or around it. While DPWD has acknowledged impacts to scenic spots for birding groups, concerns voiced by instructors from various parts of California about the loss of roadside educational outlets which have been woven into lesson plans for years have been largely ignored.
Lastly, how much draw can the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta system take? According to the Public Policy Institute of California, there are almost 1,500 reservoirs in the state. Most major rivers have already been dammed. Already, the San Luis Reservoir (https://water.ca.gov/Programs/State-Water-Project/SWP-Facilities/San-Luis) holds over 2 million acre feet of water, and there are plans to spend $1 billion to add another 130,000 acre feet. Sites Reservoir, when completed, will hold approximately 1.5 million acre feet at a cost of $4.4 billion (https://gvwire.com/2022/10/18/interior-announces-137-million-for-california-dam-projects/). When completed, the latest expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir would allow it to hold up to 275,000 acre feet (https://www.ccwater.com/706/Los-Vaqueros-Studies). Friant water attempted to sue Del Puerto Water District because they were concerned that Del Puerto Reservoir might eat into the water supplies they want for their activities (https://gvwire.com/2022/02/16/proposed-valley-dam-opposed-by-fellow-ag-water-interests/). Is spending between $500-900 million to build a whole new complex of 4 dams to pull an additional 82,000 acre feet of water from the Delta Mendota Canal the best way to deal with this finite resource?
Many of those fighting to save Del Puerto Canyon work in agriculture and are aware of the pressures Central Valley farmers face. However, they also believe that developers should be accountable to and listen to all members of the community before deciding to destroy what many consider to be an irreplaceable resource.