The fight for water rights in California continues with a signature drive taking place at the KMJ studios on Friday, January 29th. (2-6pm parking lot at Palm & Shaw Ave)
The non-profit group “California Water Alliance” want to add a measure on the November ballot to transfer funds from the bullet train and invest them in a number of water storage projects they say are necessary for California.
Earlier this week, the state’s Attorney General cleared the way for the collection of signatures –to put a measure on the ballot.
Aubrey Bettencourt, the Executive Director of the California Water Alliance says the passage of the measure would help allocate water where they say it’s needed most.
“Building Sites Reservoir, building Temperance Flat Reservoir, raising Shasta Reservoir, raising San Louis Reservoir, doing groundwater and aquifer re-injection and protection, and then there’s about 5.5 billion for storm water capture and water recycling and desalination to increase our regional water supplies as well.” – Aubrey Bettencourt, Executive Director, California Water Alliance.
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Bettencourt says water rights have been compromised in California.
“For instance, in the course of this drought and the emergency drought order, we saw the oldest form of water rights, pre 1914 water rights being denied for other purposes and that wasn’t written anywhere that was on a case basis under the emergency drought order, that the governor was allowed to do that.” – Aubrey Bettencourt, Cal-Wa Executive Director.
The California Water Alliance Works to raise awareness about the nature of water and promote sustainable solutions to meet the long term health and security needs of cities, businesses, farmers and the environment.
“Municipal and industrial is gonna get theirs first – people are going to come first. and then everything else, but everyone’s going to have more water out of this deal because we will built the new fund, those are construction dollars and we put exactly up what is needed to get construction underway, right away.” – Aubrey Bettencourt, Cal-Wa Executive Director.
The Chris Daniel Show will be partnering with the Water Alliance during Friday broadcast to hold a petition drive, allowing motorists to stop by and add their signature during the show 2:00 to 6:00 p-m. at the KMJ studios at Palm and Shaw.
The group needs to gather more than a half-million signatures by April 26th in order to get the measure on the ballot.
