Assembly approves plan to invest in urgent water needs
California Political Desk
August 28, 2008
SACRAMENTO– Today, during a special legislative session on water, the State Assembly approved a proposal to spend prior voter approved bonds on urgently-needed water storage, reliability, and conservation efforts. Senate Bill 1xx by Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) appropriates approximately $820 million in funds from bonds including Proposition 84 and Proposition 1E, which voters passed in 2006.
"This week, during a hearing of the Special Committee on Water, Californians from throughout the state whose livelihoods depend on adequate water supply urged the state to step up and take the necessary steps to provide for this state´s water needs. Today, the Assembly responded by passing SB 1xx, which allocates funds desperately needed to provide relief from the current drought, help stabilize the failing Sacramento San Joaquin Bay Delta, and invest in water supply quality and reliability," said Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), chair of the Assembly´s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee and Special Committee on Water, who presented the bill on the Assembly floor.
"This measure is a first step to providing Californians throughout the state with a safe, reliable, long-term water supply. It is essential that we allocate these funds immediately in response to the state´s most urgent needs," she said.
SB 1xx makes a number of appropriations, most significantly $325 million to help stabilize the Sacramento San Joaquin Bay Delta, which supplies roughly two-thirds of the state with drinking water, and is the heart of California´s water and agricultural system. Funding targeting Delta projects includes:
135 million to the Department of Water Resources for essential emergency preparedness supplies and projects, particularly for projects that protect and improve Delta water quality and drinking water supplies.
100 million to prevent catastrophic failure of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levees, consistent with the Delta Vision Strategic Plan. Projects would improve the stability of the Delta levee system, reduce subsidence, and assist in restoring the ecosystem of the Delta—giving priority to projects that improve conditions for Delta smelt and other native fish.
50 million for drinking water intake projects to improve the quality of drinking water supply from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including projects within Solano County.
Additional funds allocated by the measure include:
50 million for drinking water systems for small communities;
50.4 million to clean up contaminated groundwater aquifers; and
181 million for integrated regional water management planning and implementation of water projects to help provide Californians long-term, quality, sustainable water supply.
"This bill is the first step to addressing California´s long-term water needs," said Senator Perata, in a statement issued when the measure was approved Tuesday by the Special Committee on Water. "SB 1XX gets money out the door so water agencies can tackle the most pressing problems, boost supplies, and improve water reliability for all Californians."
Wolk urged her colleagues to put voter approved funds to immediate use.
"It has been 22 months since voters approved these bonds funds. We need to get this money into our communities where it can do some good," she said. "This isn´t a partisan issue. It´s not an urban, agricultural, or environmental issue. It´s not a north, south or an east, west issue. This is money for emergency preparedness, for drinking water quality, for groundwater contamination cleanup and other critical projects that water agencies and experts throughout the state have supported and worked very diligently to put to work in communities throughout the state."
The measure is supported by a broad coalition of water districts, local governments, business, labor and environmental organizations including the Association of California Water Agencies, Solano County Water Agency, California Alliance for Jobs, Nature Conservancy, California Water Association, and Planning and Conservation League. It now goes to the Senate for approval.
This week, the Assembly also plans to take up companion legislation to SB 1xx, AB 7xx by Assemblywoman Wolk. The measure works to prepare the state´s water system for the threats of climate change, by incorporating climate change information into California´s existing water planning efforts.
"This week, during a hearing of the Special Committee on Water, Californians from throughout the state whose livelihoods depend on adequate water supply urged the state to step up and take the necessary steps to provide for this state´s water needs. Today, the Assembly responded by passing SB 1xx, which allocates funds desperately needed to provide relief from the current drought, help stabilize the failing Sacramento San Joaquin Bay Delta, and invest in water supply quality and reliability," said Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), chair of the Assembly´s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee and Special Committee on Water, who presented the bill on the Assembly floor.
"This measure is a first step to providing Californians throughout the state with a safe, reliable, long-term water supply. It is essential that we allocate these funds immediately in response to the state´s most urgent needs," she said.
SB 1xx makes a number of appropriations, most significantly $325 million to help stabilize the Sacramento San Joaquin Bay Delta, which supplies roughly two-thirds of the state with drinking water, and is the heart of California´s water and agricultural system. Funding targeting Delta projects includes:
135 million to the Department of Water Resources for essential emergency preparedness supplies and projects, particularly for projects that protect and improve Delta water quality and drinking water supplies.
100 million to prevent catastrophic failure of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levees, consistent with the Delta Vision Strategic Plan. Projects would improve the stability of the Delta levee system, reduce subsidence, and assist in restoring the ecosystem of the Delta—giving priority to projects that improve conditions for Delta smelt and other native fish.
50 million for drinking water intake projects to improve the quality of drinking water supply from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including projects within Solano County.
Additional funds allocated by the measure include:
50 million for drinking water systems for small communities;
50.4 million to clean up contaminated groundwater aquifers; and
181 million for integrated regional water management planning and implementation of water projects to help provide Californians long-term, quality, sustainable water supply.
"This bill is the first step to addressing California´s long-term water needs," said Senator Perata, in a statement issued when the measure was approved Tuesday by the Special Committee on Water. "SB 1XX gets money out the door so water agencies can tackle the most pressing problems, boost supplies, and improve water reliability for all Californians."
Wolk urged her colleagues to put voter approved funds to immediate use.
"It has been 22 months since voters approved these bonds funds. We need to get this money into our communities where it can do some good," she said. "This isn´t a partisan issue. It´s not an urban, agricultural, or environmental issue. It´s not a north, south or an east, west issue. This is money for emergency preparedness, for drinking water quality, for groundwater contamination cleanup and other critical projects that water agencies and experts throughout the state have supported and worked very diligently to put to work in communities throughout the state."
The measure is supported by a broad coalition of water districts, local governments, business, labor and environmental organizations including the Association of California Water Agencies, Solano County Water Agency, California Alliance for Jobs, Nature Conservancy, California Water Association, and Planning and Conservation League. It now goes to the Senate for approval.
This week, the Assembly also plans to take up companion legislation to SB 1xx, AB 7xx by Assemblywoman Wolk. The measure works to prepare the state´s water system for the threats of climate change, by incorporating climate change information into California´s existing water planning efforts.