It is difficult to refute an idea that has the support of so many in this Valley, but a new dam at Temperance Flat would be a political, economic and environmental mistake.
One wet year does not justify spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a dam that would hold no water behind its facade. For every above average year of precipitation, there are countless more that are below average.
The California Department of Water Resources' Division of Flood Management reports that Millerton Lake has an average high-water volume of 416,936 acre-feet in June, far below its capacity of 520,000 acre-feet. Why would certain provincial citizens waste billions in state and federal taxpayer dollars on a project that will rarely serve the purpose intended? Why would the citizens of this Valley, who pride themselves on fiscal conservation, waste so much on a dam that will generate so little?
Just because other regions of this state have been granted such frivolous public works projects, we should not allow ourselves to be influenced and pass on our ethical responsibility for this dangling carrot. I call on the citizens of the Valley to spend this nation's money more wisely.
Dylan Blackshear
Fresno
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