Background:
In 2009, federal regulations to protect a 3-inch fish - the Delta smelt - led to the deliberate diversion of over 300 billion gallons of water away from San Joaquin Valley farmers. This cost thousands of farm workers their jobs, inflicted up to 40 percent unemployment in certain communities, and fallowed hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile farmland.
For the past few years, no real action has been taken to reverse the plight of the San Joaquin Valley and Republican actions to reverse the situation have been obstructed. H.R. 1837, as amended, reflects Republican promises to avoid another man-made drought.
The bill:
- Restores water deliveries to communities by codifying the historic, bipartisan State/Federal agreement known as the “Bay-Delta Accord.”
- Reforms punitive federal laws, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act, in order to provide fairness to ratepayers, promote transparency and accountability, and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Allows water users to pay off federal debt early.
- Protects and secures private property and senior water rights.
- Allows for the construction of water storage projects throughout the state of California.
