Representative TJ Cox Secures Additional Funds for Water Storage, California Projects in House Funding Bill

Reps Cox and Grijalva at a water treatment plant
August 4, 2020
Press Release

Representative TJ Cox Secures Additional Funds for Water Storage, California Projects in House Funding Bill 

 

Last week, the House passed H.R. 7617, a "minibus” legislative package funding several federal agencies and programs for Fiscal Year 2021. This package includes the following six appropriations bills: Defense; Commerce-Justice-Science; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD. Rep. TJ Cox (CA-21) has continued to advocate for Central Valley priorities, including water infrastructure. The legislation includes $79 million in new funds for Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act storage and funding for the following storage and conveyance projects advocated for by Rep. TJ Cox: 

  • Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Correction Resulting from Subsidence: $71 million 
  • Sites Reservoir Project: $4 million 
  • Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project: $7.845 million 
  • Delta Mendota Canal Subsidence Correction: $3 million 
  • Pacheco Reservoir Expansion: $1.7 million 
  • Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project: $1.5 million 

Fully building out these projects would benefit the Central Valley by providing up to almost 2.2 million acre-feet of additional storage capacity. 

“This year, I continued to lead several efforts to improve water infrastructure in the West. We are facing drought, climate change, and a pandemic that attacks those with poor health all while keeping food on the table of Americans across the nation. Investing in water storage for a healthy water future is beneficial for everyone. In the Valley, it’s vital,” said Rep. TJ Cox. “I’ve been working hard to make sure that these necessary projects become a reality. Taxpayer dollars must return to the Valley in order to improve access to our most essential and basic resource, and that’s water.” 

These funds come in addition to $225 million Rep. TJ Cox secured in this legislation for the repair Bureau of Reclamation canal facilities damaged by subsidence, such as the Friant-Kern and Delta-Mendota Canals, and would represent a major commitment to repair federal conveyance facilities that are essential for delivering water to farms and communities across the arid West. 

In addition to critical storage funding, the bill includes other water-related provisions Rep. TJ Cox helped to secure for the Valley, including: 

  • Report language supporting the Airborne Snow Observatory Program (ASO), which conducts aircraft survey flights using cutting edge technology to more accurately measure snowpack and runoff for water supply, flood management, environmental, and groundwater recharge benefits.  
  • $10.5 million, to the for the Water Operations Technical Support (WOTS) Program, which develops multidisciplinary weather forecasting technology to assist reservoir operations management – a $5 million increase over last year. 

Action on this bill now lies with the Senate, which must introduce and pass its version. The differences between the two bills then need to be reconciled before being enacted. 

Issues: 
Water Infrastructure