Costa Pushes for Increased Pumping During Storms
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16), a senior member on the House Natural Resources Committee, urged U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to increase pumping during the storms falling in the San Joaquin Valley and across Central and Northern California, consistent with provisions Costa secured in the Water Infrastructure for Improvements to the Nation (WIIN) Act in 2016.
Congressman Costa has spent decades working to secure safe and reliable water sources for the San Joaquin Valley, both as a state legislator and as a member of Congress. Costa was a pivotal actor in getting the Water Infrastructure for Improvements to the Nation (WIIN) Act signed into law. He cosponsored the law's House provisions relating to California's water system, and then worked with Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) to ensure that important California provisions were included in the final Senate version of the law. These provisions include allowing for increased pumping opportunities when fish are not near the federal pumps and the authorization of $335 million to fund water infrastructure projects like Temperance Flat, the expansion of San Luis Reservoir, water recycling, desalination, and an improved monitoring network for fish migration.
Focusing his questions today on key parts of the WIIN Act, Rep. Costa asked Sec. Zinke how the Department of Interior will ensure the flexibility required for daily water system decisions in the San Joaquin Valley to be both commonsense and based on the real time, daily water realities in the Valley. Congressman Costa reflected on today's committee hearing with, "In the WIIN Act, we worked together to create a truly bipartisan law that can make real improvements to our water system. It is a significant piece of legislation, and I am not about to allow the power in this law go to waste because of glitches in how it is implemented."
Watch Congressman Costa Question Secretary Zinke Here:
