U.S. Water News Online
FRESNO, Calif. -- Farmers and environmentalists, usually at odds over water, worked four years to figure out a way to revive part of the San Joaquin River. Now, they've suddenly stopped talking, and each side is blaming the other for the breakdown.
Both parties -- the farmers represented by the Friant Water Users Authority, the environmentalists by the Natural Resources Defense Council -- want to restore 267 miles of the San Joaquin drained by the Friant Dam.
They came together in 1999, after tentatively settling the council's 1988 lawsuit that accused the authority and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation of harming the river and its rich wildlife by not releasing water from the dam.
With the help of a federal mediator, a compromise proposal was finally ready to consider. The authority rejected it, however, meaning the case goes back to court.
Fingers are pointing in each direction for the blame.
The council said the water users authority walked away from the talks; the authority said the proposal's framework is excellent but the environmental group was calling for an up-or-down vote, nothing in between.
Both deny the charges.
``After swallowing the entire river for more than 50 years, the Friant water districts just can't swallow the idea of changing business as usual,'' said Jared Huffman, the council's attorney.
Countered the authority's attorney, Dan Dooley: ``They said you accept it or reject it. They said no further discussions are warranted.''
The lawyers said a court order prevented them from discussing the proposal. In the past, farmers and environmentalists said they wanted the restoration to keep water flowing both in the river and in Friant irrigation canals, and to find money to pay for the project.
The groups plan to meet with a judge on May 5 to figure out how to proceed with the council's lawsuit.
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