This past weekend, the State Legislature adjourned without passing a comprehensive water package that could have addressed the critical need to fix the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and improve water reliability for all Californians

California’s future economic prosperity is threatened by the rapidly deteriorating Delta. Our current and future water supplies are dependent on solving the Delta crisis quickly and equitably. This crisis has been brought on because of under-investment in modern water supply infrastructure and management strategies, coupled with increasingly stringent regulatory restrictions. If this situation is not addressed, it could threaten the economic stability of the entire state. The Metro Chamber holds that:

• The Delta crisis is a statewide issue that directly impacts our region.

• We must ensure that our region’s future economic prosperity and quality of life is not jeopardized by an unfair political solution.

• We must ensure the certainty of our region’s current and future water supply.

• We must ensure all parts of a Delta solution move forward at the same time and any solution implemented is done swiftly and, most importantly, in a fair and comprehensive manner.

We recognize solving this crisis will be expensive, but not solving it will be devastating to California because much of the state’s economy depends on water that moves through the Delta. By doing this we will help ensure future economic prosperity for California and our region.

We encourage the Governor to call a special session to deal with this crisis and encourage our region’s delegation to utilize the Metro Chamber’s Delta Policy Principles when shaping the legislation that will solve this crisis.

Despite the setback last week, the timing is right for our state lawmakers to finally produce a legislative package that will benefit our entire state for years to come. Water is our most fundamental economic and environmental resource—and this is our watershed moment to act.

The Metro Chamber encourages our state legislature, the leadership of both parties and Gov. Schwarzenegger to enact a comprehensive Delta solution that will protect and preserve our region’s and the state’s economy and quality of life for generations to come.