Restore the Delta (RTD), released a fact sheet today on earthquakes being a greater risk to the existing canals, dams and local pipes than to Delta levees. They claim fattening the levees is a far more effective solution than building the peripheral tunnels.
“The existing water project canals, which would continue to be part of the water export system, run through the San Joaquin Valley, and are more at risk than the Delta levees,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of RTD. “Californians should work together to build a more seismically resistant Delta that will protect water exports, other critical infrastructure, and save lives — all at a lower cost. Rather than a huge investment in faraway tunnels, let’s instead make the levees in the Delta more resilient and prepare all California communities to be less reliant on imported water.
The group states that developing regional water supplies provides a more reliable water supply. The best way to prevent earthquake disruption is to invest in local water solutions, including increased comprehensive water conservation, maximizing waste water reuse and groundwater recharge, while capturing storm water and rainwater, graywater, and fixing leaky local pipes.
“Earthquake risk mythmaking serves water exporters’ interests. Water exporters misrepresent the risk of earthquakes to generate support for the Peripheral Tunnels. Powerful water interests control California’s water resources and the message about the state’s water. Since the devastation of hurricane Katrina, these powerful forces have stoked fear of flooding and earthquakes to make a case for transforming a unique, beautiful, productive Delta region into a permanent way station for water going somewhere else. But the Peripheral Tunnels will not protect California’s water supply from earthquake,” said Barrigan-Parrilla.
Click here to view the RTD Fact Sheet about Earthquakes and the Delta as it provides some pretty solid information.
To view the full fact sheet, go here:
http://www.restorethedelta.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/RTD-Earthquake-Fact-Sheet-final.pdf
For more on Restore the Delta, visit their website.
