Peripheral Tunnels — what a good idea! Let’s re-plumb the Sacramento River so that precious fresh water isn’t wasted when it flows through the Delta and out under the Golden Gate Bridge. Let’s build massively huge tunnels to redirect that water to those poor family farmers in the Westlands Water District to make their wet dream a reality. Thomas Birmingham, the General Manager of Westlands says that he cannot name a single entity in his irrigation district that can be called “corporate agriculture” — just family farms in Westlands. He said it on the PBS News Hour so it must be true. Viewers of this new Salmon Water Now video may be shocked to learn that we don’t want to see Westlands disappear. The reality is that California needs both healthy runs of wild salmon and agriculture. But we don’t need those tunnels. Governor Jerry Brown’s now famous statement of intent, “I just want to get shit done” is the answer to the constant drumbeat for more water for Westlands. But it is not the answer to California’s water challenges and it is most definitely not the answer for salmon or the Delta. This video lays out the one indisputable fact about Westlands and why it’s time they join the growing chorus of voices saying NO to building the tunnels. That won’t happen, of course, but Salmon Water Now will keep reminding those Westlands family farmers that they need to stop and re-think their support for the tunnels.
More info: http://salmonwaternow.org/
Produced by: Salmon Water Now
Language: English
Year: 2012
