ACWA Comments on Gov. Brown's State of the State Address

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - Jan 18, 2012) - Timothy Quinn, executive director of the statewide Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), issued the following statement today in response to Gov. Jerry Brown's State of the State address.

"It is gratifying to see water on the short list of top issues Governor Brown intends to address in 2012. Water is a critical statewide issue, and the governor is clear about his responsibility to represent the entire state. This is essential as we work to keep statewide interests united around historic water legislation enacted in 2009 and make the investments needed to protect the environment, improve water supplies and grow the economy.

"The Bay-Delta Conservation Plan mentioned so prominently by the governor calls for significant habitat restoration along with conveyance improvements to better protect fish and safeguard California's water supply from the risk of Delta levee failure. The combination of habitat restoration and conveyance improvements makes the BDCP different from past proposals for a peripheral canal.

"It's also important to note that any conveyance facility built as part of the BDCP will have to meet the highest environmental standards in the country as a Habitat Conservation Plan / Natural Communities Conservation Plan (HCP / NCCP).

"We are pleased to see the governor's commitment to identifying key elements of the project this summer. That will allow all parties to evaluate the project on its merits and move ahead with solutions."

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.