New Bill May Not Ease California Water Shortage Pro-Cities, Pro-Wildlife Legislation That Loosens Farming's Hold on Valley Project Is Called `Too Little, Too Late' by Critics

Daniel B. Wood, writer of The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor

A MAJOR chapter in California's decades-long water war is opening with a big test for a new truce.

Federal legislation that loosens agriculture's hold on the state's enormous Central Valley Project (CVP) in favor of cities and wildlife was signed Oct. 30 by President Bush. But the measure, which ended years of highly contested reform efforts, comes amid predictions of an unprecedented seventh year of drought, now the state's worst in more than 400 years.

"Agriculture is going to have a harder time than ever," says Mary Ann Warmerdam, director of natural resources for the California Farm Bureau Federation. Noting that the new bill gives priority allotments to fish …

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Publication information: Article title: New Bill May Not Ease California Water Shortage Pro-Cities, Pro-Wildlife Legislation That Loosens Farming's Hold on Valley Project Is Called `Too Little, Too Late' by Critics. Contributors: Daniel B. Wood, writer of The Christian Science Monitor - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: November 24, 1992. Page number: 2. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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