Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Water agencies, environmental groups urge restoration of Healthy Rivers funding, back Prop. 4 dam‑safety allocations
Summary
Water districts, environmental organizations and fisheries groups urged the subcommittee to preserve or restore funding for voluntary agreements (Healthy Rivers and Landscapes) and to appropriate the governor’s proposed Proposition 4 dam‑safety funds for immediate projects.
Multiple water agencies, conservation groups and local utilities told the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 that proposed budget reversions threaten ongoing habitat and dam‑safety work.
Jennifer Pierre of the State Water Contractors told the panel the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “is ready for implementation. We’ve already implemented 40 habitat restoration projects,” and said funding is critical to move projects that protect both habitat and water‑supply reliability in the Central Valley and Delta watershed.
Speakers including representatives of the Yuba Water Agency, Irvine Ranch Water District and the Regional Water Authority asked the committee to appropriate at least the governor’s originally proposed $231,500,000 in Proposition 4 dam‑safety funding for the year. The Dam Safety Funding Coalition noted strong demand for that funding: an early $50,000,000 solicitation drew roughly $369,000,000 in requests for 72 projects, the coalition said.
Conservation groups applauded the committee’s rejection of trailer bills that would have moved the Delta Conveyance Project and Bay‑Delta water quality control plan out of the policy process into the budget. Speakers representing Defenders of Wildlife, the Golden State Salmon Association, Restore the Delta and several environmental coalitions said the budget is not the right vehicle for those policy changes and supported returning the matter to policy committees.
Why it matters Funding choices will determine which habitat restoration and dam‑safety projects can proceed this year. Several local agencies reported existing contracts and invoiced work that depends on the funds under discussion; one water district reported a $55,000,000 contract with the Department of Water Resources with about $23.5 million invoiced and $10 million received to date.
What the record shows - Testimony urging full or partial restoration of Healthy Rivers/voluntary agreements funding and Prop. 4 dam safety appropriations came from State Water Contractors, the Association of California Water Agencies, the Regional Water Authority, Citrus Heights Water District and other local water interests. - Multiple environmental organizations supported deferring trailer‑bill action on Delta conveyance to the policy process and supported reversion or reallocation of general‑fund money tied to voluntary agreements.
Next steps The items discussed will continue through the legislative budget process; appropriation and implementation depend on final legislative actions and any policy work required following the committee’s referral of Delta Conveyance to policy committees.
