Nunes bill seeks improvement to CVPIA

Nunes bill seeks improvement to CVPIA
September 7, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After more than 13 years on the books, Rep. Devin Nunes said today it's time to change select portions of Central Valley water law that has proven unduly burdensome to users and ineffective for environmental benefits.

Rep. Nunes introduced the Central Valley Project Reform Act of 2005. The bill seeks to amend parts of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 (CVPIA), which the congressman said contains provisions that have not been met; are punitive; and result in no environmental benefit.

"Even the staunchest supporters of CVPIA recognize that it has failed on a number of counts," Rep. Nunes said. "This bill corrects those problems and makes sure our precious water resources are managed efficiently and the program is accountable to achieve its goals."

In 1992, CVPIA was intended to make water supply for municipal, industrial and agricultural purposes an equal priority with fish and wildlife uses, and to make wildlife enhancement an equal priority with power generation. Yet, after more than a decade and expenditure of more than $750 million, the result is diminished water reliability for users and no identifiable benefit for the environment.

Rep. Nunes' Reform Act preserves and clarifies several provisions under the CVPIA, some of which include:

Continues to reserve 800,000 acre-feet of CVP water for the environment, but clarifies how such water will be accounted for.

Maintains current CVPIA obligation to provide firm water supplies to wildlife refuges and to increase supplies over 10 years.

Maintains Restoration Fund and surcharges on CVP water and power customers.

Maintains the current CVPIA obligation to reduce refuge supplies by no more than 25 percent due to drought or other conditions, but clarifies that refuge reductions shall be imposed whenever shortages are imposed on CVP contractors with in the same Division.

Continues to target restoration efforts on salmon and steelhead species.

Directs Department of the Interior to continue to facilitate transfers and clarifies that the CVPIA transfer provisions are not meant to impede beneficial water management practices including those that occurred before the CVPIA enactment.

Among the changes the bill seeks to enact includes:

Prohibits the release of water from Friant Dam for purposes other than flood control or to meet contractual obligations.

Requires that the proceeds of the Friant surcharge be used primarily for San Joaquin actions that contribute to the achievement of Bay/Delta obligations as appropriate.

Provides for CVPIA payments to be credited against repayment of the CVP.

Provides for the use of Restoration funds collected from Friant Division be used for water acquisition and facility construction.

Replaces the CVP only obligation to double anadromous fish with a requirement of participation in the large state effort established by the Salmon, Steelhead, Trout and Anadromous Fisheries Program.

http://www.house.gov/nunes/press/2005/sept/090705CVPRABill.htm