California Congressional representatives are pushing back against a new proposal from the Bureau of Reclamation’s plan for the long-term operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project.
The California Republican Delegation, led by Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) sent a letter to Reclamation saying its plan prioritizes environmental goals at the expense of municipal and agricultural water needs.
Driving the news: Reclamation is currently working on an environmental impact statement (EIS) to govern water operations in California.
- A draft of the EIS was published on July 26, and Reclamation is taking public comment on it through Sep. 9.
- A federal document, the EIS operates under the National Environmental Policy Act and governs the operations of dams, powerplants and related facilities of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project.
The big picture: The delegation – which also included Central Valley Republicans John Duarte, Tom McClintock and Vince Fong – said the current approach to Endangered Species Act consultation under the draft EIR prioritizes environmental goals that are unrelated to Endangered Species Act compliance.
- They argue that the current preferred proposal from Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources seems to disproportionately favor environmental objectives over water supply objectives.
What they’re saying: “Unfortunately, the current proposed operational approach makes delivering water for consumptive uses, including irrigation, subordinate to the use of water for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of protected fish species in the Delta,” the letter reads.
- Lawmakers also pointed out that the draft EIR includes actions to limit Central Valley Project operations that are intended to enable the State Water Project’s compliance with the California Endangered Species Act.
- “More importantly, at least some of these actions, such as the Fall X2 component of the Summer Fall Habitat Action, are not anticipated to have observable effects on species survival, yet they result in significant water supply reductions,” the letter reads.
- Further, the Republicans accused Reclamation of rushing to finalize the long-term operation plans “before the end of the year for transparently political reasons.”
- “It is disappointing that these federal agencies are not engaging all stakeholders, including those required by law, to develop Biological Opinions based on the best available science and data and that strike the appropriate balance between environmental protection requirements and the honoring of contractual obligations for consumptive water supplies,” the letter reads.
