Nature Conservancy backs Delta canal, with conditions

[XemaSab]

One of the nation's largest environmental groups has decided to support building a controversial new water canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

In a statement expected today, the Nature Conservancy calls a canal diverting the Sacramento River around the Delta an "essential component" to restore the estuary and protect water supplies. It thus becomes the first major environmental group to publicly support the project.

But the conservancy wants a new and independent governing agency formed first, to ensure that the canal is operated both to enhance the environment and protect water supplies. Resolving such thorny issues is why the group chose to express conditional support for the canal now.

left other environmental groups puzzling over the announcement.

http://www.sacbee.com/378/story/1521634.html

[Kolesar]

1. Heavy metals from "the mining days" pollute that estuary,...

...or so I "recall" from a 60 minutes story that CBS did decades ago. Heavy metals and/or cyanide washed down into those waters. Is that still a driving issue? (Do I have this right?)

[XemaSab]

2. This is the case

and I think the biggest issue is mercury. :shrug:

The Delta has about 6 big problems, and they're all going every which way, ya know?

[Kolesar]

3. Yeah. I looked at the headlines at the Bee and did not find any brief summary

of what the metals were.

Just think, we took those mountains away from Mexico one year before the gold was found a Sutter's Mill. That's why America is the best.

There may be some sarcasm in this post.