Fresh water scarce in land of plenty

Press, 25 February 1980, Page 24

Fresh water scarce in land of plenty

By

JOHN HUTCHISON

in

San Francisco Northern California faces a paradox — its inadequate water supply is cursed now with the flooding of some of the most productive farmland in the world. The immediate problem has brought disaster to a large, rich area of farmland inundated by a combination of high tides and rain-swol-len rivers. The long-range prospect is also fraught with doom. In the future the great delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers draining most of the state may be so invaded b.v underaround salt water that it can no longer support the crops which make it so valuable. The delta, north and east of San Francisco Bay. includes tens of thousands of

hectares of deep alluvial and peat soils. Much of the land is below sea level, protected by an old and weakened system of dikes. .. High water, driven by high winds, breached some of the dikes recently, poured in, and drowned hundreds of cattle, covered houses and . barns, and submerged thousands of hectares. Two adja- ■ cent tracts encompassing dozens of large farms and ranches are now a lake 16km long and five metres ' deep in places. There is fear that the flooding may' eventually cover more than 12,000 ha and invade several ; towns. Without assistance from the national , -vernment to pump out the flood water ; and repair the dikes,'the af- • fected farmers face ruin, even if they can withstand

1 the loss of this crop year, 1 already gone by the board, d The cost of reclamation is d estimated at more than sl6 million. y The flooding came at a e time when Southern Califord nia is bringing relentless f pressure upon the state legfl islature to give final approvt- al to a large project to draw - upon Northern. California, ’ already its main source, for d still more water. The Perie pheral Canal. would cut a s 70km arc around the delta r to divert much of the Sacra- - men to River from its normal ,- discharge through San Franil cisco’s Golden Gate. Delta residents believe i this will deny their area the i underground fresh water r which prevents saline water from the bay from invading i, the land, killing crops and i contaminating wells.