Many myths in San Joaquin River politics

There have been repeated false claims by The Bee’s guest opinion writers and letter writers stating that San Joaquin River water is being “wasted” to the sea.

In fact, not one drop of restoration water in the San Joaquin River over the last five years has reached the ocean. Just drive across the riverbed out by Los Banos on Highway 152 if you want proof.

All of this water is going to farmers, not fish.

The Temperance Flat Dam, so beloved by local politicians, is not the answer to our water woes.

One writer repeating the “wasted water” myth doesn’t mention there are more than two dozen small dams and diversion structures on the San Joaquin River upstream from Friant Dam, which collectively store over 1 million acre-feet of water.

Temperance Dam promoters never mention the cost (estimated $3 billion to $5 billion) or say who is going to get the paltry 60,000 extra acre-feet of water a Temperance Flat would occasionally produce. It would be the most expensive water in California – far too expensive for farmers.

This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Many myths in San Joaquin River politics."