California Unveils $1 Billion Drought Package
March 23, 2015 California officials introduced legislation Friday that includes more than $1 billion for local drought relief and infrastructure projects to make the state’s water infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events.
The $1 billion package will expedite bond funding to make the state better able to bounce back from the disastrous effects of climate change and help ensure that all Californians have access to local water supplies.
Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, and Republican Leaders Senator Bob Huff and Assemblymember Kristin Olsen to announce the legislation, designed to help local communities cope with the ongoing, devastating drought.
“This unprecedented drought continues with no signs yet of letting up,” Brown said. “The programs funded by the actions announced today will provide direct relief to workers and communities most impacted by these historic dry conditions.”
The package accelerates $128 million in expenditures to provide direct assistance to workers and communities impacted by drought and to implement the Water Action Plan. It also includes $272 million in Proposition 1 Water Bond funding for safe drinking water and water recycling and accelerates $660 million from the Proposition 1e for flood protection in urban and rural areas.
“Taken together, this package provides a major boost to our state’s efforts to manage the drought and strengthen our infrastructure,” de León said. “I want to thank the governor and the speaker for working together to respond to this crisis. It shows how we — as leaders – can get things done when we all work together in common purpose.”
“The drought isn’t letting up, so we can’t let up either,” Atkins said. “This legislation will deliver relief to Californians harmed by the drought and help us manage the significant problems the drought continues to cause. Since our skies are still clear — our job is too. And making sure we meet emergency needs, prepare for short term problems, and advance longer-term projects are an important part of that effort.”
“Republicans have consistently said that storage is essential for providing a reliable water source to all of California for future generations,” Huff said. “The Prop 1 water bond that was passed last year is a critical step forward in meeting the needs for California’s future. There’s no question California’s drought crisis has worsened, as once again we’ve experienced a dry winter. With the hot summer months approaching, it’s incumbent on all Californians to be responsible with how they use water. It’s critical that we act now.”
“This emergency drought relief is an important Band-Aid,” Olsen said. “We must move beyond temporary fixes. Projects to increase water supply have been hung up in government red tape for decades. I’m glad today we are making decisions that help people and look to us all to take real actions on long-term projects so emergency actions are no longer needed.”
The Sierra Nevada snowpack, which Californians rely on heavily during the dry summer months for their water needs, is at a near record low. The March snowpack measurement came in at 0.9 inches of water content in the snow, just 5% of the March 3rd historical average for the measurement site.
The overall water content for the Northern Sierra snowpack came in at 4.4 inches, just 16% of average for the date. Central and southern Sierra readings were 5.5 inches (20% of average) and 5 inches (22%) respectively. Only in 1991 has the water content of the snow been lower.
Taking action to further strengthen water conservation in the state, the State Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to expand and extend an emergency regulation to prohibit certain water use, such as washing down sidewalks, and create a minimum standard for outdoor irrigation restrictions by urban water suppliers.
Since last February, the state has pledged more than $870 million to support drought relief, including money for food to workers directly impacted by the drought, funding to secure emergency drinking water supplies for drought impacted communities, and bond funds for projects that will help local communities save water and make their water systems more resilient to drought.
Last month, Brown met with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in Sacramento to announce nearly $20 million in federal drought relief for California’s Central Valley Project.
Source: Office of Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.
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