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Costa urges $201 million for WIN, canal repairs and full San Joaquin restoration funding
Summary
Congressman Jim Costa asked the subcommittee to back $201 million for the Water Infrastructure Investments (WIN) program, $60 million for bureau canal repairs, $5 million for airborne snow‑water observations, and full funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program tied to settlement obligations.
Congressman Jim Costa (D‑Calif.) urged the Appropriations Subcommittee to fund a suite of western water priorities for FY27, saying improved reservoir management and storage investments are critical for agriculture and drought resilience.
Costa asked the committee to provide $201 million for the Water Infrastructure Investments (WIN) program to support storage projects and complementary report language, $60 million to repair Bureau of Reclamation canals that have lost capacity due to subsidence, and $5 million for airborne snow‑water observation to help managers predict atmospheric rivers and operate reservoirs more effectively. He also called for full funding of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program to meet commitments from a prior out‑of‑court settlement.
In response to member questions, Costa discussed revised yield estimates for the Colorado River, saying long‑term averages are now closer to 10–12 million acre‑feet versus prior 17 million‑acre‑foot assumptions, and described how lower reservoir levels and allocations affect planting decisions, water deliveries and wildfire risk in the West.
Next steps: Costa's requests were entered into the record for the FY27 appropriations process; no vote occurred at the member day.
