Ken, I can vouch for Sierra Nevada's credentials -- I have even seen his employment history -- independently of anything he's provided. If he doesn't want to reveal his ID publicly, that's his business. MOST people in the past have not revealed theirs, and often for their own safety reasons.
And I can vouch for most of what he has written. There are no glowing and fantastic remedies for our state's water shortages, and it will only get worse as time goes on. (In a university course that I recall, a professor pointed out that most of the country's dams will be full of silt and gravel in several hundred years! We'll be gone, but not our offspring.)
I think SN is only pointing out that every good idea also has potential problems. And it is necessary for the planners and builders to try to look at all the angles before proceeding on a plan.
I really think you and SN are on the same program. People pointing out negatives in any issue are not automatically the enemy.
