Turf and money battles continue over California water reform
It’s been about 20 months since lawmakers and former Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger breathlessly announced a historic agreement called the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009, an ambitious plan to overhaul the state’s antiquated water system. Much has changed since then, but much more is still on the way.
The biggest change has been the weather; as the first large rain and snow year since 2005 prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare the statewide drought over in March. The big snowpack, which the California Department of Water Resources says peaked at 165 percent of normal snow-water content in April, has also ensured that downstate communities will get their largest water allotment in years, up to 100 percent in some areas. (click to continue reading)