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of seeing it as something more than <br />"somewhere down in the Bay Area," <br />as Rack described it. The Delta's <br />expanse brushes parts of five counties, <br />some of which are more engaged in <br />issues that affect the entire region. <br />Because of that, there are gaps in <br />regional attentiveness and response <br />to problems such as abandoned <br />vessels, which Contra Costa County <br />has been aggressively pursuing but <br />which may not be a priority in other <br />jurisdictions. <br />"The point being is, if you have <br />a vessel to dump and Contra Costa <br />County is tough, where are you going <br />to dump ?" Rack said. "Such examples <br />make it clear that it takes Delta -wide <br />ownership to collaboratively address <br />many of the issues ... for the preserva- <br />tion and enhancement of the unique <br />resources of the Delta." <br />Coglianese said the Delta Vision <br />Process "is an attempt against great <br />odds to connect the dots, create the <br />puzzle" that is the Delta. And that it <br />may come to pass that a regional <br />planning agency is formed to address <br />Delta -wide development. <br />"If a cooperative solution is not <br />achieved, then a regional planning <br />agency is probably inevitable," she <br />said. "There are too many statewide <br />interests at stake for those outside the <br />Delta not to attempt to impose their <br />own preferred solution to current <br />problems. It would be much better <br />for the Delta to come together and <br />help decide its own future." <br />Bobker said a regional planning <br />agency "is a minimum requirement, <br />but not sufficient in and of itself. <br />"In the long run, I think we're <br />going to have to look long and hard <br />at granting the Delta special status as <br />a specially managed area, a national <br />and state reserve of some unique kind, <br />in order to achieve the habitat, water <br />and flood objectives that California <br />wants to achieve," he said. <br />Summary — A Clear Vision? <br />The Delta, a unique and vital resource <br />to the state of California, is at a <br />crossroads after more than a century of <br />MAY /JUNE 2006 <br />being permanently altered to satisfy <br />the needs of farming, water and <br />growth. Today, the problems of <br />weakened levees, declining fisheries, <br />increasing water demands and sprawl- <br />ing urbanization are stark reminders <br />that issues identified years ago must <br />eventually be confronted. <br />"There's a whole series of el- <br />ephants in the room that in CALFED <br />we hoped would go away and they did <br />not," Quinn said. "And now, it's left <br />to this [Delta Vision] process to deal <br />with those elephants." <br />But in the near -term, Delta <br />stakeholders say urgent, immediate <br />action is necessary to preserve the <br />status quo while a long -term vision <br />is formulated. "Time is not standing <br />still — the levees continue to deterio- <br />rate, farming continues to cause <br />many islands to subside, and en- <br />croaching urbanization increases <br />the potential economic losses of <br />levee failures," the CUWA white <br />paper says. <br />"We need to invest in the envi- <br />ronment and stabilize it and make <br />sure water supplies are adequate for <br />the economy today and in the future," <br />said Dave Fullerton, principal resource <br />specialist with MWD. <br />One thing is for certain: continu- <br />ing the status quo is not a viable <br />option. "It is not too late for the <br />Delta, or for CALFED," the Little <br />Hoover Commission report says. <br />"But restoring the estuary and <br />managing the resource in a sustain- <br />able manner will require continuous <br />political support, expert leadership <br />and smart management." <br />Machado, who was dismayed over <br />the Legislature's inability to craft a <br />water bond for the June ballot, said <br />determining a sustainable future for <br />the Delta will require stakeholders to <br />rise above their past disagreements <br />and forge a collaborative solution. <br />"I think we can develop a Delta <br />vision [but] only if we are willing <br />to shed our ties to the past and are <br />willing to look to the future and <br />how our interests can be served by <br />serving all Californians." ❖ <br />