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Panel advances $20M floodplain restoration bill for Tulare Basin and McFarland
Summary
SB 556, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, would fund multi‑benefit floodplain restoration in the Southern San Joaquin/Tulare Basin, including a proposed $20 million toward mitigating Pozo Creek flooding that repeatedly harms McFarland residents.
Sen. Melissa Hurtado described SB 556 as a multi‑benefit floodplain restoration bill aimed at increasing flood safety, groundwater recharge and habitat restoration in the Southern San Joaquin and Tulare Basin.
Hurtado said the 2023 storms revealed the need for large‑scale improvements; floodplain restoration projects can slow and spread floodwaters, recharge aquifers and create habitat and jobs. She said the approach is ‘‘proven and scalable’’ and has support from farmers, environmentalists, irrigation districts and her colleagues.
McFarland Mayor Saul Ayone told the committee his city has endured repeated flooding from Pozo Creek for decades. He described floodwaters carrying contaminated runoff from a large animal confinement operation and said repeated floods endanger low‑income residents, strain local resources and impose high costs on families. He said SB 556 proposes a $20 million investment to address the Pozo Creek source and called the bill a matter of public health and environmental justice.
Julie Renton, president of River Partners, described decades of successful floodplain projects and said they deliver flood safety, groundwater recharge, habitat benefits and jobs. Multiple conservation and local government representatives voiced support; some groups that had expressed concerns moved to neutral after negotiated changes.
The author accepted committee amendments; Assemblymember Macedo and others urged additional northern meeting locations in implementation and pledged continued engagement. The committee voted to pass SB 556 as amended to appropriations.
Why it matters: Supporters said strategic floodplain restoration reduces future disaster recovery costs, improves groundwater recharge and provides co‑benefits for wildlife and underserved communities in the Tulare Basin.
Details: Testimony cited prior flood incidents in 2023; the mayor said roughly 40% of McFarland residents live below the poverty line and that contaminated floodwaters present acute health risks. The bill would authorize state funding for floodplain restoration projects in the Tulare Basin and require public engagement in specified locations.
