Governor drafts stream guidelines
Ukiah Daily Journal Staff December 30, 2007 In response to new legislation, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has drafted guidelines for maintaining water in North Coast streams to protect fish. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed AB 2121, which requires the State Water Resources Control Board to adopt guidelines to determine how much water must remain in streams to protect salmon, steelhead and other fish. Under California law, the state acts as a guardian of all streams used for aquatic habitat, recreation and navigation. It is the state's job to balance the needs of other uses against environmental needs. The board currently has 310 pending applications to take water from North Coast streams for private use. If adopted, the guidelines would apply to water diversions from streams in Mendocino County as well as streams in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. The water board has released a draft policy that is open for public review for the next 45 days. That draft policy is available at the state water board's Web site at http://www.waterrights.ca.gov. If accepted, the guidelines will go into effect in 2008 |