State Senator Vows To Speed Up Process To Un-Clog Salinas River

The question is not whether something should be done with the Salinas River to prevent flooding, but how?

State Sen. Anthony Cannella proposed legislation Friday to speed up the process , and agriculture and environmentalists have their own ideas.

“Inaction is not acceptable,” Sen. Cannella said.

Do nothing and risk another flood like the disastrous one in 1995, which destroyed a quarter of the crops in the Salinas Valley, or, do too much and put the environment at risk by taking out necessary plants and trees for the wildlife to survive.

Cannella wants to act now. He says lawmakers need to work around the environmental impact report, or EIR, which assesses whether certain projects can go through.

“The problem we have with the Salinas River is if an EIR is done and it gets sued out of the gate, well, they can’t try to get all the other permits,” Cannella said. “This is just one of the many permits that have to be acquired through the state and federal government.”

He’s proposed two points on the river with the biggest potential to get plugged up; one is in Greenfield and the other in Chualar. He wants to create enough space at those two points to allow the water to flow more efficiently.

Environmentalists say crews might take out too much.

“Now, modern water management is that you leave some of the willows and things like that in because that provides you with erosion control and provides habitat,” said Steve Shimek, with the Otter Project.

Shimek proposes taking out bigger woods that could clog up the flow of water under bridges instead of wiping out living plants and trees.

The Grower-Shipper Association says it wants to put a hold the current environmental report so it can consider all the options and see if they are in line with that report.

Cannella expects to introduce his legislation this January.