Feinstein on Passage of California Drought Provisions

Statement

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on passage of the Water Resources Development Act, which included both short-term and long-term provisions to address the ongoing drought in California:

"This bill is the product of three years of effort, and is a compromise that I believe will truly help all of California. A state with 40 million people simply can't rely on a water system put in place when we were 16 million people, and this bill is a big step in the right direction.

"The goal of the short-term provisions in the bill--which will sunset after five years--is to run California's water system based on good science, not intuition. The provisions include daily monitoring of fish in turbid water, ending the winter storm payback requirement, requiring agencies to explain when they pump less than biological opinions allow, maximize water supplies consistent with law, a pilot project to see if the Delta Cross-Channel Gates can be opened for longer, extend the time period for voluntary water transfers, allow 1:1 transfer ratios in certain conditions and allow expedited reviews for projects to improve water quality.

"The long-term provisions are vital for California to not become a desert state. We absolutely must hold water from wet years for use in dry years, and this bill will help accomplish that by investing more than $500 million in projects. The bill directs $30 million to desalination projects, $150 million to water recycling and water conservation projects, $335 million to groundwater and surface storage projects and $43 million to projects that benefit fish and wildlife.

"I'd like to thank House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy who negotiated this bill with me. Neither of us got all we wanted, but we were able to finalize a bill that will help California. And I would also like to thank Senator Barbara Boxer, a tireless champion for the state who should be proud of all that she has accomplished. I also thank Congressman Costa and Congressman Garamendi for their tireless efforts along the way.

"I look forward to working with the agencies to ensure this bill is implemented in a manner consistent with the Endangered Species Act and relevant biological opinions, and to finally begin modernizing our aged water infrastructure."

Source