San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Praises Bipartisan Passage of WRDA
The recent passage of the Water Resources Development Act by a broad, bi-partisan coalition of elected representatives is an encouraging sign for California’s 40 million residents who count on reliable water supplies. We encourage President Obama to sign it as soon as possible.
This bill creates new opportunities for all water users to work together on new and innovative programs that will enhance California’s water supply and is a first step in a long process of restoring reliable water deliveries to the state.
The Water Resources Development Act provides broad water supply benefits including sensible storage projects, new conservation initiatives and innovative recycling programs that will benefit farms, urban areas and wildlife refuges. It also maintains existing regulation intended to protect some of the state’s most vulnerable fish and wildlife resources by preserving provisions under biological opinions prepared pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.
We look forward to working with the various federal agencies to put this plan into action by increasing water deliveries to the maximum extent possible under existing environmental protections.
We appreciate all of the hard work by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Kevin McCarthy for their leadership in this critical moment in the state’s history. They, along with many of their colleagues, recognized the need for a new path forward on California water issues and we look forward to working with them to make their vision for the state a reality.
We also appreciate the tremendous vision and support of our water supplier partners Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and others for their efforts to help pass this legislation. The unity among diverse regions of the state is a demonstration of how important this piece of legislation is for California’s future.