BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1095
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1095 (Eduardo Garcia) - As Amended April 29, 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Water, Parks and Wildlife |Vote:|11 - 2 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill appropriates an unspecified amount from the Water
Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014
(Proposition 1) to the Natural Resources Agency to fulfill state
obligations for Salton Sea Restoration Projects.
AB 1095
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT
This bill appropriates an unspecified amount from Proposition 1
funds designated for state obligations.
Proposition 1 authorizes $475 million to fulfill state
obligations including Salton Sea Restoration pursuant to the
Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) as well as Klamath
River agreements, the San Joaquin River Restoration agreement,
the Tahoe Interstate Compact and Central Valley Improvement Act
refuge water supply obligations.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, this bill is needed because
the Salton Sea is California's largest inland lake and very
important to both the residents of Imperial and Riverside
counties and to the wildlife that relies upon the Sea for
habitat.
2)Background. The Salton Sea, California's largest lake was
formed in 1905 when the Colorado River flooded its banks at a
faulty irrigation diversion site. Restoration is necessary to
protect fish and wildlife habitat, preserve endangered species
and remediate the salinity caused by agricultural runoff.
Restoring the sea will help prevent future significant air
quality problems resulting from the shrinking sea.
AB 1095
Page 3
The Salton Sea is one of the most important wetland areas in
the world for shorebirds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.
3) The Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). The QSA was a
negotiated settlement among the Imperial Irrigation District,
The Metropolitan District of Southern California, the
Coachella Water District, the San Diego Water Authority and
the state to settle claims to Colorado River water and
provided a path for the state to reduce its consumption of
Colorado River water to its 4.4 million acre foot entitlement.
In 2003, the Legislature enacted a package of QSA
implementing bills including a requirement to restore the
Salton Sea. Under the QSA, the amount of water flowing into
the Sea will be significantly reduced in 2017. Without
restoration efforts, the environmental consequences of the
reduced flows will be significant to fish, wildlife, habitat
and air quality.
4)Governor's budget. The Governor's proposed January budget
does not include any Proposition 1 appropriations for state
obligations.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 1095
Page 4