Devin Nunes, United States Congressman | 21st District of California

Contact: Devin Nunes 202-225-2523

Washington, Mar 6, 2011 - In its editorial criticizing House Republicans, The Bee recently suggested that current management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is without controversy or is somehow the result of a collective best practice. However, existing California water policy is neither "nuanced" nor "balanced," nor is it so complicated as to defy the comprehension of mere mortals who live, work and vote in the Golden State. Radical environmentalists and their allies in government prefer to speak using these terms to deflect attention from the truth.

Today, 78 percent of all water entering the Delta is flushed out to the ocean, depriving California of enormous amounts of fresh water that could help restore the state's economic vitality. Yet despite all of this lost water, a preliminary report by the Delta Stewardship Council suggests some species may not recover and, according to the EPA, more species are in danger, not fewer. This represents overwhelming indictment of the junk science used to justify nearly two decades of water diversions.

The science used by Delta regulators is so bad that a federal judge recently ruled against the government in a landmark lawsuit. Yet the environmental left continues to wage a merciless attack on water users – particularly San Joaquin Valley farmers. They are shamelessly using debunked science to advocate the forced retirement of 1.3 million acres of farmland – a land mass nearly three times as large as the state of Rhode Island.

House Republicans see the long-term consequences of current policy as both dangerous and counter to the public interest. Even worse, the sacrifices demanded are doing nothing to improve the environment. However, if The Bee, Bay Area liberals and radical environmentalists are unhappy with wasting a mere 78 percent of the Delta's fresh water to the ocean and want more, they should sacrifice their own supply.

The city of San Francisco could be asked to contribute to the effort by giving up its drinking water, which comes from Hetch Hetchy via pipeline – entirely bypassing the Delta. Sacramento too could be called upon to make sacrifices at the altar of the environmental movement.

Will The Bee support the removal of the hundreds of miles of flood control levees and reservoirs that are the root cause of the Delta's 160-year transformation? If so, please don't call FEMA to rescue you from your rooftop when the floodwaters come.

See the Sacramento Bee editorial "Reckless GOP reopens water wounds" here.