Is Schwarzenegger getting public-policy ideas from his movies?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered an idea Monday that he says might have less political opposition than building a peripheral canal to transport water around the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. It would be an underground canal -- similar to the one in his movie "Total Recall." The governor actually mentioned the movie during his appearance before the Fresno Bee editorial board Monday afternoon.

It sounds fascinating, although I admit to getting my engineering expertise from the movies, just like the governor. He said there is technology available involving sophisticated tunneling machines. "We used it in 'Total Recall,' one of our movies, a machine similar to that."

So Schwarzenegger was tunneling in a movie and now it's one of the peripheral canal alternatives. You gotta love the convergence of movies and state politics. The governor said his staff is studying which alternative is the most cost effective. He also said that if farmers won't sell their land for an above-ground canal, the underground canal could be the only other option.

It would be an engineering challenge. Lester Snow, the governor's water expert, told the editorial board that the underground canal would be 110 to 150 feet below the surface and 33 feet in diameter. There would actually be two tunnels that would transport the water under the Delta.

"It bores through the land and cements the wall as it goes," said Schwarzenegger. He said this machine is bigger and better than the one used in his movie.

My first thought is how can that be cheaper than an above-ground-canal, which is not totally encased in concrete like an underground canal would have to be? Then there's the possible earthquake risk to an underground canal.

But I like the tie-in to a movie. Maybe the governor could do a reality film about building an underground canal and bring back the "Total Recall" tunneling machines. Proceeds could pay the debt service on the $11.1 billion water bond.