Orange County Register - Californian families vs. the Delta smelt

Op-Ed

This week, the House of Representatives voted to approve H.R. 5781, the California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014. The 26-page bill is a simple, common sense solution to the water shortages that have plagued our state during this historic drought.

There's no understating the importance of California's agricultural industry to the vitality of our state's people, businesses, and economy. Our state alone produces nearly half of US-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables, and we grow them on over 80,000 farms that range from the Central Valley to Orange County. Dairy farms brimming with calves and grape groves blooming with a full harvest directly translate to jobs and economic activity for Californians, and not just for those who work on farms themselves.

Many of our neighbors rely on the shipping, trucking, and vending that is spurred by a robust agricultural industry for a way of living. Sadly, all of these folks are being placed at risk due to stubborn and wrongheaded politicians in Washington and Sacramento.

A radical interpretation of federal law has severely compounded the California drought. By prioritizing the Delta smelt to the point of curtailing billions of gallons of water slated to be pumped to local communities, bureaucrats have cost our state thousands of jobs and bankrupted hundreds of Californian farms.

The California Emergency Drought Relief Act is a stopgap measure that stems the tragic loss of jobs, crops, and family farms that will fall victim to this drought if we don't take action right now. 2014 marks the third consecutive year that California has been declared in a drought. Seven of the last eight years have been categorized as "below average" to "critically dry." Things aren't getting better, they're getting worse.

In February of this year, the House passed legislation to grant local agencies the flexibility necessary to pump hundreds of billions of gallons of water to Southern California. The legislation passed yesterday is based on language developed during negotiations between Sen. Dianne Feinstein and California House Republicans. The negotiations were intended to resolve the difference between the Senate and House bills passed separately to address the water distribution.

Provisions in this bill sunset in 18 months and set the stage for negotiations towards a permanent solution, all the while aiding Californians that are in immediate need and providing temporary flexibility for the California Water Project to redirect water flow where needed.

There's no doubt that this drought is a natural disaster, and a tragedy for the harm it has caused farmers. But while we can't control the weather, we can ensure that our state's water resources are used in a smart and effective manner to relieve the pain.

The House overwhelmingly passed this critical bill and the ball is now in the Senate's court. Senate Leader Harry Reid needs to bring this bill to the Senate floor immediately. His refusal to follow regular order and bring House passed bills to a vote prior to the election deeply damaged our country's ability to address pressing issues.

With the elections over, there is no longer any reason for continued inaction while Californians suffer.

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