After a dry winter, politicians in California are proposing major water projects to help ensure that the state's residents and expansive farming community have enough water in the future. Measures will likely be included on the state's 2008 ballot.
"The maneuverings by the two politicians virtually ensure that voters will be asked next year to approve billions of dollars in spending for water projects - including, perhaps, two new dams and a canal to siphon the Sacramento River."
"Cutbacks are inevitable next year if rain and snow don't fall abundantly this winter, and the dueling announcements by Schwarzenegger and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) kick off what are expected to be several months of wrangling to shape ballot proposals."
"The governor touted his $6-billion plan to build two reservoirs and boost groundwater storage, rework the plumbing of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, restore rivers and bolster conservation."
"Though local water districts have recently built their own dams, the state and federal governments have not significantly expanded their projects in decades. In the meantime, government protection of endangered delta fish and other environmental concerns have crimped deliveries from those major water projects."
FULL STORY: In a dry time, plans for water projects flow
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