{"id":8718493,"date":"2023-01-17T16:00:47","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T00:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8718493&preview=true&preview_id=8718493"},"modified":"2023-01-17T16:00:58","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T00:00:58","slug":"letters-1120","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2023\/01\/17\/letters-1120\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters: Water to ocean | Sites Reservoir | Healthy waterways | Expel Santos | Unnecessary travel | Standard time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submit your letter to the editor via this form<\/a>. Read more Letters to the Editor<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

State should not letwater run off to ocean<\/h4>\n

Re. “Tiny fish hindering water capture<\/a>,” Page A1, Jan. 14:<\/p>\n

If what the Mercury News reported in a recent edition, that \u201c94% of the water that flowed since New Year\u2019s Eve through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta \u2026 has continued straight to the Pacific Ocean instead of being captured in the state\u2019s reservoirs,\u201d then we can officially be called the \u201cMost Ignorant Generation\u201d since the \u201cGreatest Generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seems inconceivable that in the midst of a long-term drought, it makes sense to anyone that with a solution at hand (which may not be at hand next year) we literally toss that solution into the ocean. We argue the necessity of building more reservoirs to store water and yet we won\u2019t fill the reservoirs we currently have. Something is fishy here.<\/p>\n

Manny Morales<\/strong>San Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Sites Reservoir couldguard against floods<\/h4>\n

California needs to build the Sites Reservoir to store flood waters from the Sacramento River. It is needed both for water storage and protection from the types of catastrophic floods that inundated California in 1861 and 1605. The 1861 megaflood was caused by a 45-day atmospheric river.<\/p>\n

The Sites off-stream reservoir is the most cost-effective way to protect against such storms. It would store 1.8 million acre-feet of water for 5 million homes and agricultural water needs. Govs. Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown strongly support the Sites project. While it costs $3.9 billion<\/a>, it is less expensive per acre-foot than other proposals. Federal funds would be available from recently passed infrastructure bills to reduce the cost. Compared to spending $100 billon on high-speed rail, it\u2019s a no-brainer to build the Sites Reservoir.<\/p>\n

Ed Kahl<\/strong>Woodside<\/em><\/p>\n

Runoff is criticalto healthy waterways<\/h4>\n

Since the rains began we have heard and seen on TV, water from rivers rushing into the ocean. And every time the refrain is, \u201cwater wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n

But this is not the case.<\/p>\n

Free and swift-flowing water is necessary for the health of our rivers and their wildlife. Even more important this rush of fresh water into the ocean is needed to protect the long-neglected health of the ocean.<\/p>\n

We simply think of water from the homocentric \u201cme\u201d position. This clouds our judgment and how we manage this life source. Salmon habitat is affected, reservoirs fill with silt, rivers don\u2019t get revitalized, silt does not get evenly distributed to replenish riparian habitats.<\/p>\n

This rush of fresh water maintains the balance of the ocean\u2019s salinity. It brings fresh nutrients into the ocean so that ocean plants and fauna can thrive and self-sustain.<\/p>\n

John Francis<\/strong>San Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

GOP should take chanceto expel George Santos<\/h4>\n

The George Santos story seems to get worse by the day. Not only did he lie about his credentials but he also may have violated campaign finance rules. He has the nerve to admit to these exaggerations but says he \u201cdid nothing unethical.\u201d One wonders when lying became ethical.<\/p>\n

The Democrats will rightly make a big deal about this, but the Republicans should seize the initiative and throw the bum out. They would gain stature by stepping up quickly and decisively.<\/p>\n

Neil Bonke<\/strong>Los Altos<\/em><\/p>\n

End unnecessary travelto save the planet<\/h4>\n

We were glad to see Paula Danz\u2019s letter (“We must mitigate weather extremes<\/a>,” Page A12, Jan. 15), which pointed out that extreme weather fluctuation is not a coincidence, that climate change has been wreaking havoc on our state, and that we need to stop emitting heat-trapping pollution. We know many people who already understand and totally agree with all of this -\u2013 yet they continue to plan vacations across the country or abroad. After all, they reason, they\u2019ve saved the money for travel, and this trip or that trip has \u201calways\u201d been on their bucket list.<\/p>\n

With each weather extreme we read about or experience, we hope that it will finally sink into our collective conscience that we have no correct choice but to halt all unnecessary travel. Fuel-reducing technologies aren\u2019t enough; we can\u2019t get out of this catastrophic mess we\u2019ve created without immediate and large personal sacrifices.<\/p>\n

Martha and Carl Plescia<\/strong>Sunnyvale<\/em><\/p>\n

Let’s just stickwith standard time<\/h4>\n

I agree with Margaret Lawson. Keep Standard Time permanent (“If we change time, change to standard<\/a>,” Page A7, Dec. 30).<\/p>\n