Build a dam at this spot to halt salt water short of the Delta
The article “Rising Sea could disrupt Delta, water supply” (July 3) stated that climate change will cause the sea to rise and in turn bring salt water into the Delta. If the salt water gets as far as the Tracy pumping station. the pumps would be shut down and San Joaquin Valley farmers and the 19 million southern California residents would have to find another water source.
Gov. Brown’s answer is the twin tunnels at a cost of $17 billion if you believe his cost estimate (remember the bullet train).
If you look up “A dam across Carquinez Strait?” on the internet, it describes the history of the planned but never built dam at the Carquinez Strait. This is the answer. A dam or weir could be built in the area of the Carquinez Strait, which would stop the tidal flows and the influx of salt water.
A fish ladder would have to be built so as not to hurt the fishery, but the cost should be much less than the twin tunnel idea. Of course, with who’s in charge in Sacramento, the decimal tends to move to the right several places to accommodate lobbyists in the California swamp.
John Williams, Fresno
This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Build a dam at this spot to halt salt water short of the Delta."