President Bush has signed into law a $395 million funding bill
for California water projects, including $384 million for a program
to restore the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta
– a key source of water for Santa Clara County and millions of
others in California.
President Bush has signed into law a $395 million funding bill for California water projects, including $384 million for a program to restore the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta – a key source of water for Santa Clara County and millions of others in California.
The bipartisan bill is the culmination of 10 years of work by Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, Congressmen Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, who now represents Morgan Hill and Ken Calvert, R-Riverside and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, D-Norwalk.
“I am so gratified that we were able to pass this Cal-Fed bill. It’s been one of my top priorities for a long time now, and I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish,” Feinstein said. “It is my hope that through this law we can prevent a water crisis similar to the one that we faced with electricity.”
Pombo said the bill would have a profound effect on the state’s water problems.
“The days of no new water storage for California are over,” Pombo said after the bill was signed.
The bill includes $90 million for pre-authorized levees and levee stability projects; more than $180 million for pre-authorized water quality improvement projects throughout California, including drinking water; $90 million for fish and wildlife enhancements.
In addition to extensive environmental enhancements and projects to improve the Delta’s aging water-delivery infrastructure, the legislation provides funding to address a potential threat to Santa Clara County’s water supply, as well as to others supplied by San Luis Reservoir.
Some of the funding allows the federal Bureau of Reclamation to oversee work by the Santa Clara Valley Water District to remove operational constraints in San Luis Reservoir that can prevent the Water District and other south-of-the-Delta customers from receiving their full allotments of water from the reservoir.
Because the reservoir’s water level can fall below the outlet pipe that feeds Santa Clara and San Benito counties, the Santa Clara Valley Water District can’t rely on the reservoir to meet increased demand during late summer or in the fall.
“President Bush’s signature of this bill marks the end of a decade-long struggle to turn Cal-Fed legislation into law,” said Pombo, chairman of the House Resources Committee.
“This is extremely important for the people of California, our economy and our environment. Making sure we have the best quality and supply of water for the future was the end goal, and I’m very pleased we were able to make it happen.”
