Governor Jerry Brown turns to Washington insider for help on massive water project

California Gov. Jerry Brown has hired a Washington elder statesman to help try to make Brown’s proposal for two giant water tunnels a reality.

Officials confirmed Thursday that former Clinton-era Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has signed on as a senior adviser to the $15.7 billion tunnels project.

Brown supports building two, 35-mile tunnels to carry water from Northern California for use primarily by Central and Southern California. Federal authorities have yet to approve the project. State officials and environmental groups disagree over whether the tunnels would hurt endangered species. And with just two years left in Brown’s term, water contractors who would get the water from the tunnels have yet to commit to paying for them.

State spokeswoman Nancy Vogel says Babbitt was hired June 22 at $10,000 a month.