Gov. Jerry Brown applauds Metropolitan Water District for water-saving incentives

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Gov. Jerry Brown applauded the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Tuesday for its $450 million two-year conservation budget to provide rebates and incentives for Southland residents to remove water-guzzling turf and install low-water-use fixtures.

During the MWD Board of Directors meeting in downtown Los Angeles, Brown spoke on several drought-related issues, including the Bay Delta Conservation plan, which calls for two 30-mile tunnels to move water from the Sacramento River to canals near Tracy. The water would then be sent to urban areas and farmers.

"We've got to make sure that we can capture this water and convey it in a reliable secure way," Brown said.

Outside the meeting, anti-fracking protesters were angry that the governor has not banned the practice in the state. They say it can hurt our water system.

"If you do eliminate a certain percentage of California oil production, then you'll have to import it. You can bring it in a pipeline, you can bring it on ships, or you can bring it in trains, and none of those are very attractive," Brown said.

His message Tuesday was that it's all connected. He says climate change from fossil fuels is causing ocean levels to rise and that could hurt our water supply. Watch Carlos Granda's report in the video above.

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