For months, Governor Jerry Brown has worked on his twin tunnels water project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a controversial project that would move water from the Delta to other parts of the Central Valley. Brown’s $15.5 billion project has received criticism from people on all political spectrums: farmers, environmentalists …
Read More »Omnibus spending bill negotiations to impact California’s water
As Congress negotiates the omnibus spending bill, legislators are beginning to question the policy riders that are showing up in the bill. Republicans have tried to remove Democrats’ policy riders that would protect the EPA’s Endangered Species Act. Republicans argue that the Endangered Species Act puts fish before people. On …
Read More »Proposed legislation: shift money from high-speed rail to water infrastructure
On Thursday, Board of Equalization member George Runner and Senator Bob Huff of San Dimas filed language for a potential ballot imitative that would give Californians the option of shifting $8 billion in bond money that was allocated for California’s high-speed rail project to build water infrastructure. In addition, the …
Read More »BREAKING: EPA’s water rules overturned by Senate
On Wednesday, the Senate voted against the EPA’s attempt at making more waterways fall under federal jurisdiction. The vote passed by simple majority with a 53-44 vote after Tuesday’s failed attempt to get the 60 votes required to fully repeal the regulation. “I remain committed to bringing common-sense legislation back …
Read More »Voters to see water-diverting ballot measure
Dean Cortopassi, a Stockton-based farmer and food processer, has collected at least 585,407 signatures for a ballot measure that would amend the California Constitution to require voters to approve ballot bonds that cost the taxpayer $2 billion or more. Cortopassi’s main target: Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed twin-tunnels that would divert …
Read More »DWR releases guidelines for groundwater management
In 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was established to help local agencies manage their groundwater supply. In September, Senate Bill 13 added amendments to SGMA that requires local water agencies to form groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA) and report that formation to the Department of Water Resources (DWR). As …
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