Technically, California’s San Joaquin Valley – the drainage plain of the San Joaquin River – begins a few miles south of Sacramento and ends a few miles south of Fresno. However, in political and economic terms, it stretches even further south to the Tehachapi Mountains, south of Bakersfield. The 300-mile-long...
Question About His River Access Vote Gets Under Brandau's Skin
For much of Monday’s (Feb. 11) Board of Supervisors District 2 forum, the three candidates discussed various topics in a genial manner. Then, the moderator asked Fresno City Councilman Steve Brandau about the San Joaquin River access controversy. The question, presented by Daren Miller, asked why Brandau voted to “destroy...
State OKs More Water for Salmon, Less for Farmers and Cities
SACRAMENTO — A state board on Wednesday approved a contentious proposal to boost water flows through the San Joaquin River, a move that would increase habitat for salmon but deliver less water to farmers and cities such as San Francisco. The plan under consideration by the Water Resources Control Board...
My Turn: A Chance to Finally Solve the Delta Quandary
It is imperative to improve the health of the greater Delta watershed, a major source of water for cities and farms across the state. And various stakeholders have a chance to achieve that goal in the coming weeks while protecting important economic interests. Amid all the election news, Gov. Jerry...
Governor Vetoes Plan to Turn San Joaquin River into State Park
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula’s plan to turn the San Joaquin River Parkway into a state park. AB 3218 would have placed 5,900 acres adjacent to the river between Friant Dam and Highway 99 under the jurisdiction of the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area. It passed both the...
Fed Up, He Takes on River West Trash With His Own Hands
Sometimes there comes a point when even a patient person who has spent much of his life in government and understands how things work there can't take the red tape and turf wars anymore. That's what happened to Tom Bohigian, the longtime state director for former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer...
Is This Building Historic? Or Should It Be Demolished?
Update, 6/21/2018: The City Council pushed back making a decision on this item until an unspecified date in July. Councilman Steve Brandau said PG&E needed more time to respond to the city's request to place the item on the Local Register of Historic Resources. When the owners of the old...
Will Madera County's Bold Dreams Make Greater Fresno Blossom?
Could the San Joaquin River, long a dividing line in the heart of California, unite the state in pursuit a more metropolitan future for the Central Valley? Whether that happens will be determined in Madera County, on the north side of the river from Fresno. There, a new city, consisting...
Will Madera County's Bold Dreams Make Greater Fresno Blossom?
Could the San Joaquin River, long a dividing line in the heart of California, unite the state in pursuit a more metropolitan future for the Central Valley? Whether that happens will be determined in Madera County, on the north side of the river from Fresno. There, a new city, consisting...