Rep. David Valadao re-introduces water storage bill to Congress

Along with 11 other California Republican members of Congress, Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) introduced a new bill in Washington this week that will focus on streamlining operations, expanding water storage infrastructure, and enhancing accountability.

Known as Work to Advance Real and Effective Reform (WATER) for the California Act, the bill will encourage the state to bring water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta under the Endangered Species Act, as well as advance key surface water projects. infrastructure. This will require the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) to operate under 2019 regulations, rather than changes in the Biden administration that have made it harder for farmers to get water. Stakeholders in the CVP and SWP will also receive all the water they contract and pay for.

The WATER for California Act will also provide funding for the Shasta Expansion Project, which will increase water supplies across the state, as well as allow more surface storage to provide water to those in need in drought conditions as established by the WIIN Act. . Overall, the proposed legislation aims to give farmers more water when needed, expand water storage facilities, upgrade and build additional water infrastructure, and make all projects legally sealed to comply with federal and state regulations.

Although the bill was introduced earlier, it has not yet passed Congress. However, with drought still forecast in California and heavy rains highlighting the need for more reservoirs and water storage to take advantage of the downpours, the California Water Act was reintroduced in Washington this week. In a statement, Congressman Valadao, the chief congressman for the bill, stressed the need for the bill to be passed this year.

“The Central Valley has suffered from drought, unfair water distribution, and the gross mismanagement of the water we have by Sacramento bureaucrats and radical environmentalists for years,” Valadao said this week. “The WATER for California Act will bring more water to farmers, businesses, and rural communities in the Valley and across California while doing everything they can to survive the man-made water shortage. It also provides transparency and holds this administration accountable for their attempts to reverse the 2019 Biological Opinions, which have left Valley farmers with great uncertainty about the future of their water supply. The storms hitting our state right now show how important it is to increase water supplies so our communities are better prepared for dry years. I promised my constituents that I would fight to provide a reliable and clean water supply for our communities, and my first bill of 118th Congress would do just that. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important legislation.”

The bill was supported by all 12 members of Congress of the Republican Party

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy. (Photo: kevinmccarthy.house.gov)

Other members of the Republican Party in the California Congress, all who supported the bill, also added their statements.

“For more than a decade, Congressman Valadao has been a champion in advancing drought and water policy, fighting to ensure that families and agricultural producers in the Central Valley have affordable and reliable access to water,” said Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives (R-R. state of California). “. I applaud his tireless efforts and am proud to join him as a cosponsor of the California Water Law. Now that the Republicans are in the majority, we will offer reasonable solutions from the House of Representatives to the people of Kern, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties and to the American people.”

Congresswoman Yang Kim (R-CA) also stated that “Water is essential to the public health and safety of our communities. Unfortunately, burdensome regulations and mismanagement exacerbate drought-induced water shortages that are detrimental to our workers, families and food supply chain. I am proud to join my California colleagues in introducing the California WATER Act to reduce the regulatory burden that hinders access to water, and I thank Rep. Valadao for his tireless work on this. I will do everything in my power to provide confidence and water safety for Californians.”

While it currently remains unknown how far the bill will go this year, continued coverage of California’s water issues is expected to secure support for the bill in the House of Representatives, including from California Democrats, who currently have a storage fund bill. who is in the Senate. Water experts in California stressed in The Globe on Friday that more funding is needed for storage, no matter what the source.

“Right now, all funding is needed to expand storage and infrastructure,” added Jack Wesley, a farm and multi-family water consultant. “Without a doubt, it is necessary. WATER for California is a stronger action, especially when it comes to helping farmers. This should not be a partisan issue. This is what California needs right now and hopefully it will pass as a result.”

The bill is expected to be debated in Congress soon.

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