Costa Applauds Drought Relief Funds

Fresno, CA. - Rep. Jim Costa released the following statement after Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the Department of Interior is providing $50 million in funds for drought relief projects throughout the West —including nearly $20 million for California's Central Valley Project.

"The current drought is causing irreparable harm to the San Joaquin Valley, devastating our families, communities, and our businesses. Fortunately, today we received some good news when the Department of the Interior announced that it would be providing nearly $20 million in drought relief funds to California's Central Valley Project. These funds will help boost immediate efforts to improve water supplies by increasing advanced monitoring, providing the data to support real time operation of the projects and increase pumping when there is decreased likelihood of listed species being harmed. This could increase monitoring that would enable operators to ramp up pumping when the fish aren't near the pumps, delivering vital water to communities in severe distress. Additionally, some of these funds will go to short and medium-term projects to diversify California's water supply, reducing demands on Delta water, increasing conservation and creating more resiliency in our water system.

"This is a small step forward, but it is imperative that the Administration commit to increasing operational flexibility and to bringing more reliable water supplies to our Valley. The Valley, which produces more than half of our nation's fruits and vegetables, cannot continue being the agricultural economic engine of our state with inadequate and unreliable water supplies."

Specifically, the Central Valley Project will receive $5.37 million for Delta needs, including enhanced monitoring for endangered species to increase flexibility in water operations; $2.38 million for the Friant-Kern Canal Reverse Flow Pumping Project to increase resilience in the Friant Division; $3.65 million for Water and Power Operations to facilitate water transfers in the summer months; and $6 million for refuges, including acquisition, conveyance and diversification of water supplies.

###