AJR 36, as introduced, Brough. Overflow water: beneficial use.
This measure would declare that overflow water from reservoirs that are a part of the federal Central Valley Project should be redirected to put the water to the most beneficial use and released in the central valley and that the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumping facilities should be put into operation to divert water from being wastefully sent out to the Pacific Ocean and instead sent to areas where the water is critically needed.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, The State of California has been experiencing a
2historic drought, lasting five years; and
3WHEREAS, During this state-declared drought, California has
4not seen a full water allocation from the federal government; and
5WHEREAS, On April 1, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown
6announced California’s first mandatory statewide water restrictions,
7requesting a 25-percent decrease in urban water use from 2013
8levels; and
9WHEREAS, California is the world’s fifth largest supplier of
10food, as it grows 43 percent of the nation’s fruit, nuts, and
11vegetables and more than 90 percent of the nation’s almonds,
12grapes, and broccoli. With the current drought conditions, farmers’
P2 1ability to grow crops has been severely affected. In 2014, California
2farmers were forced to fallow more than 500,000 acres. The central
3valley is one of the state’s most important economic regions, and
4with the continuance of drought conditions, the economy and
5agricultural production will continue to suffer; and
6WHEREAS, Although the El Niño-fueled storms have improved
7the water levels in some of the state’s largest reservoirs, the state’s
8drought persists; and
9WHEREAS, Under current federal law, the federal Bureau of
10Reclamation requires a dam to release water when the dam reaches
11a capacity of 60 percent; that water is known as overflow water.
12However, there is no guarantee that the reservoirs will reach those
13water levels again; and
14WHEREAS, On March 18, 2016, pursuant to the federal Bureau
15of Reclamation’s requirements, Shasta Lake Reservoir, a keystone
16reservoir of the federal Central Valley Project and California’s
17biggest reservoir that serves California growers, released water at
18a rate of 20,000 cubic feet per second, a significant increase from
19the normal rate of 5,000 cubic feet per second. This was the
20quickest rate the bureau has released water into the upper
21Sacramento River since 2011; and
22WHEREAS, Overflow water that is released from the reservoirs
23and into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ultimately ends up in
24the ocean; and
25WHEREAS, There are more efficient uses of this overflow
26water; and
27WHEREAS, More than 23 million Californians and millions of
28acres of farmland rely on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for
29all or part of their water supply, and countless species count on
30the delta for their habitat. Releasing water into the ocean that can
31otherwise be used in a more efficient and beneficial manner results
32in damage to the farms and species; now, therefore, be it
33Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
34California, jointly, That the State of California declares that the
35overflow water from reservoirs that are a part of the federal Central
36Valley Project, including, but not limited to, Shasta and Folsom
37Lake Reservoirs, should be redirected to put the water to beneficial
38use and released in the central valley; and be it further
39Resolved, That the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta pumping
40facilities should be put into operation to divert the water from
P3 1being wastefully sent out to the Pacific Ocean and instead sent to
2areas, such as the central valley and southern California, where
3the water is critically needed; and be it further
4Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
5of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
6States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
7Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
8from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the
9author for appropriate distribution.
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