Costa Hosts Sec. Haaland to Discuss Impact of Drought in the Valley
FRESNO, Calif. - Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, hosted United States Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on a tour of Fresno and Madera counties, where they met and spoke with Valley water leaders and farmers about the impact of the drought crisis in the San Joaquin Valley and across California.
"Secretary Haaland's visit was critical to see firsthand how the drought is hurting our communities and threatening the foundation of the San Joaquin Valley. Valley farmers are facing dire challenges to put food on America's dinner table,"said Costa. "Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, we are making game-changing investments to address the worsening drought crisis, creating more water storage and ensuring clean, drinking water is a right in all communities."
Roundtable with Fresno State
Congressman Jim Costa held a roundtable discussion with regional water leaders at Fresno State to discuss water issues impacting the San Joaquin Valley and California. This discussion builds on Costa's efforts of providing a sustainable, reliable water supply for farmers in the Valley. Costa proudly voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which will provide $4 billion in drought resiliency funding to mitigate the impact of drought in the West, which would prioritize drought-prone areas such as the San Joaquin Valley.
Kevin Herman Farm
On a tour of Specialty Crop Company's farm, Costa and Haaland saw the impacts on the ground of water shortages and how it's affecting businesses, farmers, and communities across the San Joaquin Valley. Farmers are fallowing their fields and taking cost-cutting measures to get through the drought. That is why Costa is working to prioritize federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build major storage projects in California such as B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and San Luis Reservoir Expansion, Sites Reservoir Project, and others to store more water in wet years to use in dry years.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates a total of $8.3 billion for Reclamation infrastructure projects to repair aging water delivery systems, invest in water recycling, secure dams, protect aquatic ecosystems, and tackle historic drought conditions.