San Joaquin bypass settlement unites former foes

Posted by High Sierra Rural Alliance

April 21, 2008

A legal settlement announced Friday creates a new opportunity to build a major flood bypass on the San Joaquin River, a solution that has been mired in bureaucracy and infighting for decades.

The deal arises from a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups against River Islands, an 11,000-home development proposal on Stewart Tract, an island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Lathrop.

The Natural Heritage Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council sued the developer and the state Reclamation Board in 2006, alleging that levee modifications approved for the project did not fully address the need for a flood bypass and the potential consequences of sea level rise.

The parties call the settlement more than a legal document. They say they have become partners to see the long-awaited bypass through to completion.

Read more at the Sacramento Bee.