Media Contact:
Ann Erdman
Public Affairs Office
(626) 744-4755

The City of Pasadena urges Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California state legislature to finish the considerable effort undertaken during the closing weeks of the 2009 legislative year to advance a comprehensive package of legislation for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including water management and finance.

The future of the delta requires the legislature’s immediate attention to enact a lasting solution for addressing the dire consequences facing the delta due to inaction. The ecosystem is under severe stress, and the resulting restrictions in water supplies for 25 million Californians and three million acres of agriculture will strain the state in the years ahead until the delta is on a path to recovery.

“As a member agency of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Pasadena believes that a healthy delta is necessary for a reliable water supply for all who depend on the estuary,” said Mayor Bill Bogaard.  “It is the foundation for our water future, and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan provides the foundation for a plan to link ecosystem and water system improvements.”

The efforts of the Legislature during the regular session have brought California to the brink of a historic breakthrough in water policy for the delta and for the state as a whole.  The need to complete this task is crucial.  By taking the steps to finalize this plan under a special session in the coming days, the state will benefit for decades to come.

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More information about this issue can be found at http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/yourwater/supply/Delta/index.html.

For more information about Pasadena water, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/water.