CAMPAIGN WATCH : Dead in the Water

It’s curious that Democratic gubernatorial candidate John K. Van de Kamp dismissed so peremptorily Monday the very idea of ever building a Peripheral Canal to take pure Sacramento River water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the pumps of the State Water Project that serve both Northern and Southern California. Almost never say “never,” John.

The anti-Peripheral ploy undoubtedly is an effort to curry favor with voters on the home ground of his primary opponent, Dianne Feinstein, the former San Francisco mayor. Northerners hate the ditch as proposed--and rejected--back in 1982, but a variation of it may be necessary some day, both to preserve the delta and to provide acceptable-quality water to state project customers. For her part, Feinstein says she would not rule out a future canal if it would enhance delta water quality.

Both candidates will likely make farmers bristle with the idea that they should save more water. Farmers think they do a good job of conservation now. But Van de Kamp’s idea of a bond issue to help them finance drip-irrigation systems is worth serious consideration.

Give both candidates credit for proposing water-development and conservation programs as part of their campaign. Water, and the lack of it, will be a major problem facing the next administration. But, as Gov. Deukmejian discovered, battles over water can sink even the well-intentioned politician in a very wet quagmire.