Wednesday January 4, 2023
Oakdale Leader —
Not building the controversial Delta tunnel means Southern California and Bay Area cities would need to invest in desalination plants and groundwater recharge of brackish water that could impact the visual pleasantries of coastal scenery.
That is the bottom line buried in the no-project alternative of the Army Corps of Engineers’ latest 691-page Environmental Impact Study on the proposed Delta tunnel study released in late December.
The report determined building the tunnel will have major impacts on San Joaquín County as well as the Northern San Joaquin Valley including agricultural, local water supply, air quality, endangered species, and essential fish habitat.
The tunnel — if built — could have domino impacts beyond the actual project.
That’s because courts and the state will be pressed to seek to replace water that is now used for environmental purposes, keep salt water at bay. and sustain ecological systems before being diverting into the California Aqueduct northwest of Tracy.