A carefully devised plan for restoring the deteriorating San Joaquin River to health is nearing completion and will be submitted to the Legislature in January.
The once-vigorous San Joaquin River and its tributaries have great social, environmental, and economic values, providing water for farms, cities, industries, fish and waterfowl, hydroelectric power, recreation, and navigation. But the health of the river has declined as years of development have taken their toll. Sediment has filled the channels, reducing flood-control capacity and hampering fish migration for spawning. Weeds and brush have replaced native vegetation, and irrigation drainage, urban runoff, and sewage plant discharges have degraded the water quality.
To reverse the decline, in 1990 the Legislature passed AB 3603 by Assemblyman Jim Costa to authorize the San Joaquin River Management Program (SJRMP) and an advisory council and action team of local, state, and federal agencies, water, irrigation, flood, and reclamation districts, environmental organizations and private citizens.
The council's task was to identify the problems of the river and recommend ways to improve flood protection, water quality and supply, fisheries, recreation, and wildlife habitat. In September, Governor Pete Wilson signed AB 3048 by Costa, which authorizes implementation of the plan and provides for coordination between the SJRMP and the federal Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA).
"We have worked together in a spirit of cooperation, coordination, and consensus to produce a plan that recommends more than 80 specific projects, studies and acquisitions to help revive the San Joaquin River system," said Chief Deputy Robert Potter of the Department of Water Resources, the advisory council chairman.
The final draft identifies potential benefits, conflicts and resolutions, estimated costs, possible funding sources, and necessary legislation and environmental documentation.