CCGGA Opposes Wild and Scenic Designation for San Joaquin River

The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations (CCGGA) has weighed in on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed designation of a 7.5 mile stretch of the San Joaquin River above Millerton Lake as “wild and scenic”.  Such a designation would eliminate any possibility of the construction of Temperance Flat Dam and Reservoir.  CCGGA wrote a letter this week to Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell opposing the proposed listing as not meeting the criteria for “wild and scenic”, which requires the river to be “free flowing”.  The proposed area falls between Kerckhoff Dam and Kerchoff Powerhouse which has the water running through tunnels thereby largely bypassing the area.  As such, it could not possibly meet the very basic criteria of “free flowing” and CCGGA urged the Secretary to not list the San Joaquin River as “wild and scenic.”