Wilson Drafts Massive Drought Battle Plan : Water: Governor proposes to transfer supplies to driest areas, protect wetlands wildlife and promote rationing.

Gov. Pete Wilson today announced a $100-million drought battle plan to transfer water to the driest areas, bolster firefighting forces, drill wells to save wildlife in wetlands and warn wasteful communities to ration.

Wilson stopped short of formally ordering communities to ration their water, but he said he would invoke his emergency power to require rationing “if the local agencies are not capable of coping” with strict conservation measures.

Wilson, using the recommendations of his task force created two weeks ago, also said he is expanding the Legislature’s special session on the budget crisis to include drought problems.

“A drought of this magnitude will change the way we live. It will cause inconvenience. It will cause anxiety. And it will cause some pain. There is no getting around it, this is the time for sacrifice,” Wilson said at a Capitol news conference.

Wilson said that he is warning communities that are not rationing water to do so, creating a state water bank, directing state departments to drill wells in wetland areas and transport fish downstream to safer locations and setting up a $100-million emergency fund for loans for public and private water agencies to develop new water supplies and aid conservation projects and firefighting forces.

The governor also said he is ordering the state water project, which has cut off supplies to farmers, to continuously re-evaluate the situation to determine whether flows can be restored at some point.

DROUGHT-BUSTING

Gov. Pete Wilson today outlined his proposals for fighting California’s worsening drought. Some highlights:

A $100-million emergency fund would be set up for loans for public and private water agencies to develop new water supplies and to aid conservation projects and firefighters.

Wasteful communities will be warned--but not immediately required--to ration their water.

Emergency powers to require rationing will be invoked if local agencies cannot bring water-use reduction into line.

A state water bank will be created and water will be transferred to the driest areas.

Firefighting forces will be beefed up.

State departments will be directed to drill more wells to save wildlife in wetlands areas. Fish will be transported downstream to safer areas.

The Legislature’s special session on the budget crisis will be expanded to include drought problems.