Now that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed the historic water legislation, work begins soon for a new council that will help manage the delta’s restoration.
Capital Public Radio's Steve Shadley reports...
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When lawmakers recently approved the package of bills to improve California’s aging water network, they created a council to oversee water suppliles and restoration of the environmentally-sensitive delta.
It’ll be called the “Delta Stewardship Council.” State Senate Democratic Leader Darrell Steinberg says the next step is to select the seven member council...
Steinberg: “Those are appointments that are crucial because we want to make sure that people who have the right sorts of balance, point of view, and who are committed to working very hard take those initial seats...”
The governor appoints four of the members, the legislature two and the Delta Protection Commission the other.
Republican State Senator Dave Cox opposes how the new Delta Council is being formed...
Cox: “These are all people who are being appointed and my preference is to have an agency that’s overseen by electives...that way you can hold them accountable...”
Some environmental groups also are critical of the new council.
They’re worried the governor will be able to stack the group with a majority of members who’ll adopt water policies that the governor favors.