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trying to generate its own analysis of what needs to be done on the San Joaquin River. We 

 need action— not more study. 



The consensus that has been building behind abandoning any effort to re-establish the 

 remnant salmon fishery that existed on the San Joaquin River before the construction of 

 Friant Dam back in the 1940's has been overwhelming. Virtually everyone who has taken a 

 serious look at the availability of the limited resources and the tremendous benefits of the 

 current use of the waters of the San Joaquin River within the Friant Division has reconfirmed 

 the original analysis by Congress when it authorized the Friant Division— there is simply not 

 enough water to have both a viable salmon fishery below Friant Dam and to provide the 

 water necessary to take advantage of the tremendous agricultural potential which exists within 

 the lands of the Friant Division. 



The CVPRA will reconfirm that it is of national interest to insure that water will continue to 

 flow to the Friant Division service area by prohibiting releases from Friant Dam directly into 

 the San Joaquin River. Let me clarify, however, that Friant Division water users are not 

 absolved, by virtue of this language, from fully participating in all other aspects of state or 

 federal law which would apply to any other water user in the State of California. In fact, you 

 have gone to great lengths in addressing this concern in the language of the CVPRA. Friant 

 water users have always been willing to do their "fair share" of environmental restoration and 

 improvements— just not at the extraordinary expense of having to re-establish flows below 

 Friant Dam. 



Further, this legislation resolves a difficult problem that was facing the Administration in 

 implementation of the San Joaquin River provisions of the CVPIA. Not long after the San 

 Joaquin River Comprehensive Plan Study was begun by the federal govenmient, it became 

 obvious that the principal emphasis of the study to evaluate the re-establishment of the 

 salmon fishery from Friant Dam to the Delta was not "doable". Everyone, including 

 Secretary of Interior Babbitt, agreed that even studying the re-establishment of the salmon 

 fishery was a waste of time. Yet Congress had dictated by virtue of the CVPIA that a study 

 be done. The only way to resolve this problem is to have the CVPIA re-visited by Congress 

 with the limitations that are now proposed as part of the CVPRA. 



There clearly is a need for a federal presence in resolving the issues of the San Joaquin River. 

 The need for the federal government to conduct its own study, however, has been obviated 

 by the completion of the San Joaquin River Management Program. The federal government , 

 enabled with the money and direction to begin immediately implementing the improvements 

 prescribed in the CVPRA for San Joaquin River, will accelerate real environmental 

 improvement. 



The CVPRA would also propose to limit the "in lieu of water" contribution of money from 

 Friant water users, the so called Friant Surcharge. This proposed limitation is clearly a result 

 of your improved understanding of how the Friant Division of the CVP relies upon 

 conjunctive use of groimdwater as a major water management tool for the region. TTie 



