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posted ago by DarQ2light ago by DarQ2light +197 / -0

The Monterey Plus Amendments are a set of changes made to the State Water Project (SWP) contracts in California in the 1990s. The amendments were the result of a secret agreement between five contractors and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). What did the amendments do? [Privatized water rights] The amendments transferred public ownership of the Kern Water Bank to a privately controlled entity. [Deregulated water] The amendments removed accountability measures for how much water was allocated to contractors. [Created a new water market] The amendments created a market for buying and selling water that could not be delivered. [Made water more expensive] The amendments made water more expensive and less accessible for customers, especially during droughts. What were the consequences? The amendments disrupted the Delta ecosystem. The amendments worsened water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The amendments made it possible to sell "paper water", which is water that only exists on paper. What is the current status? The amendments are not established law and are under court challenge.