Hetch Hetchy is a delicate issue for San Francisco. Congress approved the damming of the river in 1913, and environmentalists have been fighting ever since to tear it out. The group Restore Hetch Hetchy met over the summer with Ryan Zinke, Trump's Interior secretary.
City officials say replacing Hetch Hetchy would cost billions - and they're worried San Francisco could face severe shortages if the state's plan to alter flows on the Tuolumne is approved.
[snip] For months, San Francisco, a hotbed of anti-Donald Trump sentiment, has found itself in the awkward position of being aligned with his administration over California water policy.
On Tuesday, the city's leaders said the alliance was unbearable.
In an 11-0 vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors agreed in a resolution to support the State Water Resources Control Board's proposal to leave more water in the San Joaquin River and its tributaries to benefit struggling fish populations. The supervisors' vote is subject to veto by Mayor London Breed, although the board could override the veto.
The vote splits the city from the Trump administration and instead moves its support to a state plan that its utilities commission warns could lead to severe drinking water shortages for its nearly 884,000 residents.
The resolution explicitly says the city must divorce itself from the Trump administration and its congressional allies such as Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, who's branded the state plan a "water grab." The Trump administration has vowed to sue the state if the so-called Bay-Delta plan goes forward, saying it would interfere with the operation of key reservoirs owned by the federal government in the San Joaquin Valley.
"Under the cloud of climate change denial and anti-science populism, the debate around the Bay-Delta Plan has transcended the realm of rational, environmental discourse toward a political and populist, anti-conservation rally cry, fueled by the strategic lobbying of a federal Republican administration aiming to destabilize California's status as a Democratic stronghold," the resolution says.
Hillary says they cant be civil until the Democrats are in power.
Trump should make a speech strongly opposing suicide.
I see that they have cut off their nose. Good! That’ll sure teach Trump!
Obviously fish are more important than people — in SF anyway.
How are they going to hose piss and feces off the sidewalk ?
It’ll be tough to remove the visual ring around the reservoir.
SF (like LA) needs to buck up and go to running desalinization plants to get potable water from the nearby ocean/bay.
Let 'em drink Evian!
If they’re determined to die of thirst, I say let ‘em.
Poor struggling fish!
Many years ago, when I visited SF I found the tap water to be remarkably good, especially in comparison to LA area water. I was told the water came from Yosemite. Nice to see they’re planning to do away with it.
Send all the illegals to SF and see how fast that water is used up.
They wouldn’t have a water problem if there weren’t so many illegals.
I guess that none of the city's leaders have seen the movie, Forrest Gump.
"Stupid is as stupid does."
We know they’re not using much water flushing toliets.
We saved the little fishes, yay, but then we died