California Water Fix and Eco Restore project. Governor Jerry Brown strongly advocated for the project, but it was mired in controversy due to problems financing it and environmental concerns. Previous proposals Prior to the 1940s, water was drawn from the southern end of the Delta. Since then, various groups have lobbied for the construction of a Peripheral Canal to instead draw water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to the federal aqueducts. Because of drought and other low flow issues that cause salty ocean water to flow from pumping stations which are located at the southern edge of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta into the aqueducts of both the state (California Aqueduct) and federal government (Delta-Mendota Canal), aquatic environments as well as water for drinking and irrigation are contaminated. Thus, both state and federal agencies proposed a plan in 1965 for the second phase of the California State Water Project, which created a canal that would transport fresh water from the Sacramento River bypassing the delta, instead of through it. Voters defeated a ballot initiative to build a similar Canal in 1982. References External links Home page for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which includes Peripheral Canal-like tunnels. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan: An Overview and Local Perspectives in Western City. Bay-Delta Conservation from Save the Bay. Jerry Brown Politics of California Canals in California Geography of the Central Valley (California) Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta Water in California