HomeMy WebLinkAbout77-140 - Endorsing SB 346, Peripheral Canal ConstructionRESOLUTION NO. 77-140
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, ENDORSING SENATE BILL
346, FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A PERIPHERAL CANAL.
WHEREAS, the coastal plain of Southern California depends for more
than two-thirds of its water supply on three aqueducts --the Los Angeles,
the California, and the Colorado; and
WHEREAS, the supply of the City of Los Angeles from the Owens
Valley through its Los Angeles Aqueduct has been limited this year
because of drought in the Sierras and a court injunction against pumping
from the underground in the valley; and
WHEREAS, because of the worst drought in history in Northern and
Central California, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cali-
fornia agreed to stop taking delivery of northern water from the State's
California Aqueduct on March 1, 1977, for the remainder of this calendar
year; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the shortage of supply from both the City
of Los Angeles and California aqueducts, Metropolitan has been forced to
operate its Colorado River Aqueduct well beyond its design capacity; and
WHEREAS, a flash flood of unprecedented magnitude put the Colorado
River Aqueduct completely out of operation for five days in September
with a resultant loss of supply of some 12 billion gallons of water; and
WHEREAS, the City of Los Angeles has fully developed its potential
water supply in the Owens Valley and Mono Basin; and
WHEREAS, Metropolitan, as a result of the United States Supreme
Court decision in Arizona versus California, will suffer the loss of
more than half a million acre-feet of the 1.2 million acre-feet of its
annual Colorado River supply to the Central Arizona Project in the mid -
1980's; and
WHEREAS, it appears overwhelmingly clear that early completion of
the State Water Project, along with construction of additional features
of the Federal Central Valley Project, is an immediate and vital neces-
sity; and
WHEREAS, a key element of this overall program is joint Federal -
State construction of the Peripheral Canal around the delta of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers; and
WHEREAS, although the Peripheral Canal is and will remain an
authorized facility of the State Water Project and may be constructed by
the State alone, whether Senate Bill 346 is enacted or not, joint
construction and operation with the Bureau of Reclamation is desirable;
and
WHEREAS, such a program offers the best hope of meeting the water
needs of not only Southern California but also Central and Northern
California in the years ahead and possibly until the year 2000; and
WHEREAS, this program is embodied in State Senate Bill 346 which
this year received a majority vote in both the Senate and Assembly but
failed to obtain the necessary two-thirds vote in the upper house; and
WHEREAS, this measure is expected to be before the State Legis-
lature for further consideration in January;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Costa Mesa does hereby endorse Senate Bill 346 as an urgently needed
step toward meeting the water problems of the entire State of Cali-
fornia.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Council does hereby call upon all
members of the State Legislature to join in supporting this proposed
legislation.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 21st day of November, 1977.
aLt2�.2 "- -
or o a of the City of esa
ATTEST:
City Clerk of the City of Co Mesa
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
CITY OF COSTA MESA )
I, EILEEN P. PHINNEY, City Clerk and ex-offico Clerk of the City
Council of the City of Costa Mesa, hereby certify that the above and
foregoing Resolution No. 77-140 was duly and regularly passed and
adopted by the said City Council at a regular meeting thereof, held on
the 21st day of November, 1977.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the
Seal of the City of Costa Mesa this 22nd day of November, 1977.
dj�4�
g (��
-
City
Clerk and
ex -officio
Clerkf
the
City
Council of
the City
of Co
a Mesa