BILL ANALYSIS Ķ
AB 1649
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Date of Hearing: April 12, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE
Marc Levine, Chair
AB 1649
(Salas) - As Amended April 5, 2016
SUBJECT: Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement
Act of 2014: surface storage projects: joint powers
authorities: funding
SUMMARY: This bill establishes a state policy to give priority
to the formation and funding of joint powers authorities to
address surface water storage.
EXISTING LAW:
1) Establishes a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta policy that
among other things lists expanded statewide water storage
as an objective.
2) Provides that surface storage projects identified in the
CALFED Bay-Delta Program Record of Decision, except
projects prohibited by the California Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act, are eligible for funding under Proposition 1 of
2014.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
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COMMENTS: Establishes a state policy to prioritize funding joint
powers authorities formed for surface water storage projects.
1)Author's Statement: This bill urges the state to expedite
water storage projects. As California continues to combat
historic drought conditions, we should be doing everything we
can to update our water storage infrastructure. Had
investments been made decades ago, we would be prepared to
capture the rainfall from recent El Niņo storms. Expanding
and improving California's water storage capacity is long
overdue.
2)Background: Proposition 1 appropriated $2.7 billion to the
Water Commission for storage. The Proposition made those
funds available for all of the following projects:
Surface storage projects identified in the
CALFED Bay-Delta Program Record of Decision, except
projects prohibited by the California Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act.
Groundwater storage projects and groundwater
contamination prevention or remediation projects that
provide water storage benefits.
Conjunctive use and reservoir reoperation
projects.
Local and regional surface storage projects
that improve the operation of water systems in the
state and provide public benefits.
Much of this storage is tied to improved operations in the
Delta. Surface water storage for the State Water Project and
Central Valley Project is directly tied to the Delta. The
current surface storage projects before the Water Commission
come from CALFED Bay-Delta recommendations.
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In 1994, after years of uncoordinated efforts to improve fish
restoration and reliability of Delta water, state and federal
agencies joined together to coordinate activities. This
coordination became the CALFED Bay-Delta Program (CALFED).
CALFED initiated a long-term planning process. As part of that
process, CALFED considered storage that would allow for
improved operations for water quality and water flows. On
August 28, 2000, CALFED identified several storage projects
for further evaluation through a Record of Decision. Those
identified projects were ultimately made eligible for funding
under Proposition 1.
In addition to providing funding for storage, Proposition 1
conditioned funding on several requirements being met. Among
those requirements a project must:
Provide measurable improvement to the Delta
ecosystem or to the tributaries to the Delta.
Create ecosystem improvements that contribute to
restoration of aquatic ecosystems and native fish and
wildlife, including those ecosystems and fish and
wildlife in the Delta.
Create water quality improvements that provide
significant public trust resources, or that clean up and
restore groundwater resources.
This bill would make it a matter of state policy to prioritize
funding joint power authorities formed to advance surface
storage projects. This priority would apply to all funds that
become available not just Proposition 1. It seems likely that
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policy would serve to emphasize funding eligible surface
storage projects out of Proposition 1 funds and provide
pressure to accelerate the time frame by which those funds
become available for projects.
1)Prior and Related Legislation:
a) AB 2551 (Gallagher) 2016, allows for CALFED
Bay-Delta Program Record of Decision surface storage
projects to be constructed using several construction
options. AB 2551 is currently pending in this committee.
b) AB 1471 (Rendon), Chapter 188, Statutes of 2014,
placed Proposition 1, a $7.545 billion general obligation
bond for water-related projects and programs on the
November 4, 2014, ballot where it passed with 67% of the
vote.
2)Opposing Arguments: AB 1649 prioritizes the CALFED projects
for funding from the Water Bond. The sizeable investments in
the Water Bond should be thoughtfully spent on worthwhile
projects. The public's money is best served by investing in
groundwater projects. These projects can yield six times the
water for the cost of surface storage.
3)REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on File
AB 1649
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Opposition
Association of California Water Agencies (prior version)
Sierra Club California
Analysis Prepared by:Ryan Ojakian / W., P., & W. / (916)
319-2096