The Bee's Mark Grossi has an excellent story today on the merits of the controversial dam at Temperance Flat. Check out Mark's story here. This is a defining issue for the Valley, and residents should know as much as possible about the pros and cons of the proposed $1.2 billion dam.
This region needs to find a way to capture all the runoff in the wet years to meet the competing water needs of the Valley. The proposed reservoir would be twice the size of Millerton Lake. A feasibility study on the project will not be conducted until 2009. Other possibilities are raising Friant Dam and putting a dam on Fine Gold Creek. There's a nice map on the projects accompanying the story in today's Bee.
This issue is loaded with politics, and won't be easy for the average citizen to sort out. Mark Grossi's story today should help. Save as a reference piece as you hear the various sides discuss the proposed dam.
One of the big problems noted in the story is that part of PG & E's electric production would be knocked out. Why not let PG & E participate? Of course, farmers always fear that power will preempt their water. But, still, better than paying PG & E a huge sum.
Jim: The purpose of Temperance is not storage, but rather diversion, of Fresno's water upstream from the dam now established to have been illegal from day one. If Temperance is "for the Valley" then why are Santoyo and the FWUA planning on selling our water to the Los Angles MWD? How can any rational leader elected to represent Fresno suppport theft of our river all over again? Mr. Mayor: please think San Antonio, not Mojave.
Maybe it's because I'm not an engineer, but I don't understand that aspect at all. Don't they generate tons of electricity upstream by moving water from one reservoir to another? Why can't they do the same thing here?
Anything to do with the 40+/- yrs of illegal cross-connecting and re-routing of Fresno's sewer/water lines?