Congressman Devin Nunes, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and Congressman David Valadao, with the support of House Speaker John Boehner,have introduced legislation to address California’s drought by”turning on the Delta pumps this year and next year to capture future rain events; ending restoration flows in the San Joaquin River for this year and next year in order to stop wasting water; and establishing a bipartisan, emergency joint committee from the House and Senate to devise a long-term legislative solution.” (Click here for press release).
Not surprisingly, there are those who have something to say about this. Here are the reactions I’ve collected so far, and I’ll keep updating with more responses as I find them so be sure to keep checking back in. If your agency or organization has a statement, please email it here. Individuals may make their own statement by adding their comment to this post.
The responses are listed in alphabetical order.
From the Golden Gate Salmon Association:
“Agriculture operations in parts of the San Joaquin Valley rely on junior water rights which typically supply water in wet years when there’s surplus – and far less in times of shortage. Although the current drought challenging most of California is caused by lack of rain and snow, some San Joaquin Valley Congressmen have a track record of trying to use drought to weaken fish and wildlife protections.
Delta pumping restrictions required by the federal Endangered Species Act are not currently limiting water pumping in the Delta.
“Let’s get real. Pulling the plug on the Endangered Species Act or turning the Delta spigots wide open is not going to get San Joaquin agribusiness and frackers the water they need; all it will do is destroy Central Valley salmon and the state’s salmon fishery,” said GGSA vice-chairman Zeke Grader. “What we need is rain and snow not demagoguery on the part of the Speaker and some of his fringe members who deny climate change and drought for their own ideological purposes.”
“Salmon and families that depend on them are the ones we need to act to save now,” said GGSA executive director John McManus. “Salmon are dying in the drought-stricken Central Valley rivers and soon that will translate into lost jobs on the coast and inland waterways. This is where the help is needed. If Speaker Boehner would like to understand the full story of California’s drought we’d be more than happy to introduce him to our coastal and inland families that rely on salmon to pay the bills.”
Golden Gate Salmon Ass’n reacts to today’s attempted Republican drought water grab
From Doug Obegi at the NRDC Switchboard blog:
“Drought is a natural occurrence and a fact of life in California. And climate change is likely to make the challenges of drought even more difficult. While we can’t make it rain, we can prepare for drought by investing in a diverse portfolio of water supplies, including conservation, water recycling, groundwater management, and stormwater capture.
However, while the State and most stakeholders are working together to get through the drought, Congressman Devin Nunes and many of his far right colleagues in the Central Valley are apparently gearing up to reintroduce legislation to overturn the Endangered Species Act, preempt state environmental and water rights law, rescind the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, and generally blame environmental laws for the lack of rain and snow. Yet in their zeal to stop the restoration of the San Joaquin River and to eliminate protections for salmon and other native fish under the Endangered Species Act, they’ve lost sight of the facts. … ”
Continue reading Doug Obegi’s reaction at the NRDC Switchboard blog here: We’re All in this Drought Together (Unless Congressman Nunes Sacrifices the Environment First)
From Restore the Delta:
“The move to push forward legislation by Congressman Devin Nunes, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and Congressman David Valadao, with the support of House Speaker John Boehner, to allow the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumps to operate “as long as water is available” in a drought is nothing more than a blatant, short-sighted water grab, fueled by years of political contributions from huge growers in the Westlands Water District and the Kern County Water Agency to these Central Valley Congressional Representatives.
Furthermore, we find it ironic that these Congressional representatives, who claim to be in favor of reduced Federal government intervention into state affairs, are looking for a way to bypass State and Federal water quality and quantity regulations, which will be violated if pumping restrictions are removed in the Delta. They are playing the anti-regulation card to dictate economic winners and losers among California’s farm and fishing communities. …
What does it say that Governor Brown and Speaker Boehner are on the same side of championing the decimation of the Bay-Delta estuary, all to appease a few hundred growers who contribute less than .3% to the State’s economy? It indicates to the people on the ground in the Delta that our political leaders are poised to squander the most important and largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas for an unsustainable future that will further enrich a few big political contributors to Central Valley Congressional races, and recent California ballot initiatives.”
Read the full text of the statement here: Tunnels critics blast Congressional move to suspend Endangered Species Act to favor Westlands, Kern mega-growers during drought
From Congressmembers Mike Thompson, George Miller, Jerry McNerney, Doris Matsui, John Garamendi, and Ami Bera:
“Northern California Members of Congress released the following statements today in response to the California water legislation proposed by Speaker John Boehner (OH-8) and Reps. Devin Nunes (CA-22), David Valadao (CA-21) and Kevin McCarthy (CA-23):
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5): “The current three-year drought is having serious impacts on farmers, families and businesses across California. We need to find science-based solutions to our state’s long-term water challenges. However, this proposal is nothing more than a shallow attempt to use the state-wide drought as an excuse to steal water from the delta. It shows zero regard for the fishers, farmers, families and businesses who depend on the delta for their livelihoods, ignores a half-century of established science, guts environmental protections, harms drinking water and will cause enormous economic hardships across the delta region. The health of the Bay Delta is integral to California’s economy. It supports thousands of jobs in farming, fishing and tourism. Pumping more water south of the delta not only puts these jobs at risk, but will do nothing to alleviate drought conditions. This proposal should be thrown out and solutions to California’s water challenges should be transparent, based on sound science, and developed with all stakeholders at the table so that those who depend on the delta to make a living aren’t left high and dry.”
Rep. George Miller (CA-11): “Clearly, we need to solve problems for the benefit of the entire state- and I look forward to working towards a solution with my colleagues in Congress to do just that. But this attempt to gut federal and state environmental and water protections without sound science or considering the economic toll on the Northern California economy does not help. Doing so is not only misguided- it’s dangerous. The fact is, the Endangered Species Act does not control pumping operations in the Delta, and is not expected to significantly reduce water supplies this year. Rather, the lack of rain, low storage in reservoirs, and low river flows – not environmental laws – are the major causes of low water allocations across the State. Environmental protections in the Delta and our state’s rivers not only protect delta smelt, salmon and other endangered fish species, but also tens of thousands of jobs in fishing, tourism, and farming in Northern California, while also ensuring drinking water quality for millions of Californians. Putting those interests at risk for the benefit of Central Valley agribusiness is not a sustainable compromise. Instead, by working together to conserve water and by making smart investments in conservation, recycling, and other innovative solutions, we can sustain our economy and environment even while facing an extreme drought.”
Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-3): “California is enduring a severe drought, which has negatively affected the families, farmers, and small business owners in the Delta region and throughout the state. This bill would allow south of the Delta water contractors and their allies who want to steal water from the Delta to do so, further exacerbating the problem. It ignores environmental protections, water quality issues, and the health of the Delta. This bill is not a solution to California’s water challenges. To steal from one community to benefit is unacceptable.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-6): “There is no question that we need serious proposals to tackle California’s long-term water woes. Unfortunately, the legislation unveiled today by Speaker Boehner and three other House Republicans is not the answer. This proposal is a water grab, plain and simple. Modeled after legislation that failed last Congress, it guts the Endangered Species Act, and would allow more water to be pumped from the Delta, regardless of whether or not the Delta has the water to spare. Sucking the Delta dry is not the answer to California’s water issues. We need long-term solutions that will benefit the entire state, and should be working together to solve California’s water problems through a balanced approach. This proposal is anything but balanced and will only create further discord.”
Rep. John Garamendi (CA-3): “I’d like to welcome Speaker Boehner to California. The severity of the drought our state is facing certainly warrants it. I hope the Speaker will be interested in meeting the family farmers, fishermen, and recreational business owners whose livelihoods depend on a healthy Delta, and I will be happy to introduce him. If he’d like to learn more about smart investments we can make in water recycling, conservation, storage, and levee construction that create more water for the entire state, I’d love to walk him through my comprehensive water plan for all California communities. I’d also like to caution the Speaker to not forget about the missteps of the Westlands Water District, particularly why it was a bad idea for farmers in that district, given their decades-long federal water contract, to plant permanent tree crops when dry years were inevitable.”
Rep. Ami Bera (CA-7): “For the third year in a row, drought and dry conditions are hurting many families, small businesses, and farmers in Sacramento County and beyond. Folsom Lake is already at historically low levels, and pumping more water south, not only puts jobs and our local economy at risk, but also does nothing to address the underlying problem, and only further exacerbates our local water shortage. We need to find both real solutions to address this crisis in the short-term, and a comprehensive plan for securing water access and storage throughout the state. This proposal, however, is a misguided effort to use the state-wide drought as an excuse to take much-needed water from one area of our state and send it to another.”
From Ton Nassif at the Western Growers Association:
“The drought is doing great damage to farmers, farm workers and many other people who are part of the most productive agriculture state in the country. Federal regulatory decisions made last year in the Delta made this situation much worse, by failing to pump and store more than 800,000 acre feet of winter runoff. The federal agencies charged with implementing fish species protections in the Delta declined to use their available discretion to capture that water, instead letting it flow out to sea.
It is time for Congress to act. We appreciate the efforts of Speaker Boehner and Congressmen McCarthy, Nunes and Valadao to encourage action by both houses of Congress on this crisis. We believe bipartisan agreement is necessary and possible. There are very moderate and reasonable steps available, such as federal legislation giving the regulatory agencies clear direction to allow the state and federal water project pumps in the Delta to operate at higher levels than they have in recent years. We must capture water runoff when it is available and store it for the protection of our farms and communities.
Our state’s water system is overdue for serious upgrades. We need more storage facilities and greater support for desalinization and water reuse projects that reduce reliance on the Delta. A refocused water bond should be presented to the state’s voters with strong support from our state and federal leaders. Federal action to raise the existing Shasta Dam should be expedited. Improved conveyance facilities in the Delta are essential for improving water supply reliability in much of the state as well as restoring the Delta ecosystem, as envisioned by the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.
There is so much to be done, but there has been so little action in Congress so far. We hope that the Speaker’s engagement today marks a willingness by members of both parties and both houses of Congress to work toward bipartisan solutions to the water supply crisis that threatens thousands of America’s most productive farmers and thousands more whose livelihood is tied to their survival.”
Full statement here: Nassif Statement Regarding Congressional House Republicans’ Efforts to Address California Water Shortage
From Senator Lois Wolk:
““I was disappointed to see the highly partisan media events staged today by Speaker Boehner and other House Members trying to take advantage of California’s drought to advance their agenda. Californians clearly do not need such intervention from Washington politicians who know very little about California water policy and the many real challenges we face with the drought. Their effort to score political points is not helpful as we Californians are working to build the bipartisan workable solutions required. The drought is real and serious. And it requires real and serious solutions, not an assault on our most basic environmental and water quality protection laws built over decades of hard work. If Washington wants to help, the federal government should once again invest in the vital infrastructure of our community water systems as they did in the past. We can use federal partners, not partisan stunts.”
COMMENT_ Senator Wolk comments on water media event by Speaker Boehner and other House Members
