Sacramento – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger encouraged voters Monday to approve the $11 billion bond referendum he signed last week that will dramatically shape the future of the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. The measure will be included on next November’s ballot. The package of five bills was passed by lawmakers earlier this month to modernize and expand California’s water system by saving up water in dry years. It will finance $40 billion of projects such as new dam construction and below-ground water storage and a new canal to circumvent the Delta, which supplies water to an estimated 36.7 million Californians. The water plan includes creation of a seven-member governing council to oversee the construction of a peripheral canal from Northern to Southern California, where most of the state's population lives. The package was pushed through the legislature with the support of Democrat and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, who claims the legislation will “ensure the restoration of the Delta’s fragile ecosystem while enhancing water reliability for all Californians.” In a press conference in front of a shrinking Fresno County dam, Schwarzenegger credited bond supporters with “setting forth a bold vision of the future.” “For decades, Californians have been fighting about water,” Schwarzenegger said. “I've heard the pleas of the people here from this valley, I have heard the pleas of the people of the state of California, and I think the legislators have heard those pleas as well. So I am here to tell all of you help is on the way.” Despite the inclusion of funds to promote and restore fragile Delta regions and monitor groundwater, some environmentalists remain critical of an additional $3 million set aside for the possible construction of new dams and underground water storage in the future. Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, whose district includes Amador County and portions of the Delta, said the package “creates a new layer of bureaucrats who will make decisions on water that will impact the communities I represent,” referring to the 7-member governing council. Fiscal conservatives are critical of nearly $2 billion in earmarks which lawmakers admit were added in order to gain votes in the Legislature. These earmarks include $250 million for dam removal on the Klamath River to help restore salmon runs, $100 million for the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program for watershed restoration, bike trails and recreation projects, and $75 million for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to fund education and “community stability” projects. The governor predicted that neither the earmarks nor the price tag will discourage voters from supporting the bond, “because the people of California have a high interest in rebuilding our infrastructure.” “I hope the people are going to be with us in passing these bonds,” he said. Locally, the Amador Water Agency will address the issue today in a special meeting at 1:00 pm in the Amador Water Agency office regarding the Association of California Water Agencies' support for the Delta Legislation. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.