Federally Owned Contra Costa Canal May Change Hands

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Ownership of the 81-year-old canal system that serves as the water lifeline for a half-million Contra Costa County residents could be transferred to the Contra Costa Water District under recently introduced legislation. The proposed legislation would transfer ownership of the Contra Costa Canal System from the federal government to the water district. U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris introduced the legislation along with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord.

The aging canal system is the primary water delivery system for about 500,000 people in central and eastern Contra Costa County. The main Contra Costa Canal between Oakley and Concord springs leaks, has water
evaporate on hot days and poses a danger to the public, with 75 drownings in its lifetime.

Transferring ownership would mean the district could operate and maintain the system more efficiently, reducing federal administrative costs and investing money in modernizing the system, according to the water
district.

"If we don't own the canal, we are less likely to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to modernize it," said Jennifer Allen, a spokeswoman for the water district. "An analogy is, when you are renting a home, are you
going to do a full upgrade of the kitchen? You are more likely to invest when you are the owner of a facility."

Allen estimated the cost of modernizing the Contra Costa Canal, which is just one component of the system, at around $500 million.

Because the federal government owns the canal system, transferring the title requires an act of Congress.

By Bay City News Service

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