Senate Passes Boxer-Feinstein Measure to Help Alleviate Drought in Central Valley
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill by U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein (both D-CA) that would allow for water transfers to help agricultural communities in the Central Valley that are suffering from severe drought conditions.
Senator Boxer said, “This critical amendment is a step forward in improving water management to ease the ongoing water crisis in the San Joaquin Valley, where drought conditions have impacted more than 450,000 acres of cropland and led to the loss of thousands of jobs.”
Senator Feinstein said, “I am very pleased to have been a cosponsor of this amendment, which will allow the transfer of water between Friant Division users and other South-of-Delta agricultural users in this time of terrible drought, and should be helpful in providing 50,000 to 80,000 acre feet of additional water each year.”
The amendment facilitates voluntary water transfers among Central Valley Project contractors, providing the flexibility to deliver water to agricultural communities when they need it most. The measure makes it easier to transfer water between counties and specifically authorizes water transfers between the Friant Division on the east side of the Valley and south-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors on the west side of the Valley.
Representatives Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced) and Jim Costa (D-Fresno) successfully included a similar amendment in the House Energy and Water Appropriations bill two weeks ago.
The Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill also includes $41 million for the California Bay-Delta Restoration account. At least $10 million of this funding could be used to expedite the timely evaluation of water management projects such as the intertie between the Delta-Mendota Canal and the California Aqueduct, and “Two Gates,” the construction of two temporary gates in Old River and Connection Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The funding was secured by Senator Feinstein, a member of the Appropriations Committee, with the support of Senator Boxer.
