Snow rising

Predictably, today’s news of the promotion of Department of Water Resources chief Lester Snow  is providing for some interesting rhetoric from the anti-peripheral canal crowd.

They view Lester Snow as a kind of Darth Vader for the Delta. Now Snow is climbing the ladder, taking the place of retiring Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman, who was also disliked by the Delta contingent for pursuing a canal.

Fish Sniffer’s Dan Bacher writes that Snow has “distinguished himself by presiding over the unprecedented collapse of Central Valley salmon, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other species…” by allowing water exports to increase in the 2000s.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, obviously, has a different view.

“Throughout the course of my Administration, Lester has used his high-level expertise in public resource management to protect California’s water supply. With his skills and knowledge, Lester served a key role in developing the historic comprehensive water package to reform and rebuild our state’s water infrastructure that will benefit future generations of Californians,” the governor said in a statement.

State Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, also weighed in: “Lester is a tireless public servant and his expertise on managing the state’s resources is unparalleled. I have no doubt that Lester will be a successful new leader of the Resources Agency.” That is, pending Senate confirmation.

Taking over for Snow at DWR is Mark Cowin, who has worked in the department for 29 years.