Water
Jim Costa is widely regarded as one of Congress's leading voices on water policy, a reputation earned over decades in both the California State Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. As a native and third-generation farmer from the San Joaquin Valley, Costa knows firsthand that reliable water supplies are essential to public health, ecosystems, and the economic viability of the region. As a third-generation farmer, he understands that the worsening drought crisis carries human as well as economic consequences. From Sacramento to Washington, Costa has made it his mission to repair the Valley's broken water system, focusing on both short-term relief and long-term solutions that deliver water where it's needed most.
In Sacramento, Costa authored the San Joaquin River Conservancy in 1992, which now provides access to 5,900 acres within the 22-mile stretch of river between Friant Dam and Highway 99. He also authored legislation to create Kern County Water Bank, the largest in the nation, to secure long-term groundwater supplies. In Congress, he has fought on behalf of the Valley for increased water allocations, pushed back against flawed federal regulations limiting water flows, and secured millions in federal funding for critical projects. He worked closely with then-Governor Jerry Brown to declare a statewide drought emergency and secured drought relief for Valley counties.
In 2014, Costa ensured 340,000 acre-feet of carryover water reached farmers during one of the driest years on record, and later brought President Barack Obama to the Valley to see the crisis firsthand, a visit that led to $183 million in federal aid. Most recently, Costa helped secure $4 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to combat drought in the West.
Costa has secured hundreds of millions of dollars to modernize water infrastructure, expand storage, and improve drought resilience across the San Joaquin Valley. He was instrumental in enacting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which delivered more than $250 million for major storage projects, including $213 million to raise B.F. Sisk Dam and add 130,000 acre-feet of storage, $182 million to expand Los Vaqueros Reservoir with 115,000 acre-feet of new capacity, $265 million for the Sites Reservoir Project that could store up to 1.5 million acre-feet, $25 million for a Delta-Mendota Canal feasibility study, and $22.2 million to restore lost capacity in the Friant-Kern Canal. Additional infrastructure investments included $42.5 million to refurbish the San Luis Unit at B.F. Sisk Dam, $25 million to upgrade the Delta-Mendota Canal Jones Pumping Plant, and $8.8 million for flood risk reduction at Pine Flat Lake.
Costa has also championed water conservation and groundwater recharge projects to safeguard the long-term supply. He increased Kaweah Reservoir's capacity by 48,000 acre-feet, worked with local water districts to enhance efficiency, and secured millions in WaterSMART grants, including $2.8 million for McMullin Area GSA's groundwater monitoring system, $2 million for Fresno Irrigation District's Carter-Bybee Recharge Basin, and $379,000 for the City of Fresno's smart irrigation timer program. These projects save tens of thousands of acre-feet of water annually and improve management during drought years.
In addition to supply and conservation efforts, Costa has made safe drinking water a top priority. Nearly 10 million American households lack access to clean water, and Costa helped secure $391 million for California through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for infrastructure upgrades. In his district, this included $14 million for Parlier to remove toxic TCP from its water system and $2.5 million for Dinuba to build a new well serving the city's west side.
Learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law HERE.
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WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced $254 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring clean, reliable drinking water to the San Joaquin Valley and California, including $125 million for B.F. Sisk Dam and $129 million for the Sites Reservoir Project.