
As Delta smelt and other fish species reach record low population levels and fishermen and fisherwomen brace for salmon restrictions this season, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California authorized the purchase of four islands in the San Francisco Bay-Delta for an undisclosed sum at a closed session of the agency's Board of Directors meeting on the morning of Tuesday, March 8.
The Metropolitan Water District is a regional wholesaler that delivers water. MWD, Southern California’s most powerful water agency, is one of the strongest proponents of Governor Jerry Brown's California Water Fix to build the controversial Delta Tunnels. MWD’s 37-member Board of Directors represents 26 agencies in Southern California.
The deal is highly controversial in Northern California, as it would put Southern California’s most powerful water agency in control of a group of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta islands that can serve as water storage areas or entry points for the proposed $15 billion Delta Tunnels projects, observed Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta.
For months, MWD has been considering the purchase of islands now used for farming. The islands mirror the path of the plan for the Delta Tunnels proposal, said Barrigan-Parrilla.
The four island deal includes Bouldin Island, Webb Tract, Holland Tract, and Bacon Island, covering approximately 20,369 acres of the Delta, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It is troubling for the Delta region that the Metropolitan Water District is going to acquire such a significant portion of Delta land and Delta water rights, said Barrigan-Parrilla. They have the resources to change law and policies statewide to maximize their access to Delta water in their favor.