BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2373
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Date of Hearing: May 25, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2373 (Gray) - As Amended May 9, 2016
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|Policy |Water, Parks and Wildlife |Vote:|12 - 0 |
|Committee: | | | |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill appropriates $45,000 GF to the Merced Irrigation
District (MID) to implement on farm irrigation system and water
use efficiency improvements for small communal farms in Merced
County including, but not limited to:
1) Water pump maintenance, repair, or replacement including
installation and drilling.
2) Water well casing maintenance, repair or replacement.
3) Annual maintenance checks that may include: a) well
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cover or well cap maintenance , repair, or replacement; and
b) slope and drainage construction or maintenance to
counter the effects of subsidence.
Additionally, this bill requires the MID to report to the
Legislature by April 30, 2018, for the purpose of determining
the effectiveness of the appropriation and the cumulative impact
on the County of Merced. Specifically, the report must include
how the funds were spent, resulted in irrigation efficiency, and
reduced energy, fuel and water usage. This bill also requires
the report to evaluate the effectiveness of expanding the
program to small farms statewide.
FISCAL EFFECT:
This bill appropriates $45,000 GF to MID.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, dozens of Hmong refugee
families in Merced County have come together to share the cost
and labor of farming. These families lack capital to invest
in their farms. Water pumps are in disrepair, which hinders
the efficiency and energy use of irrigation. The author
contends the sum appropriated in this bill will provide
significant reductions in energy, fuel, and water use.
2)Background. MID encompasses 164,000 gross acres. Total
irrigable lands are 138,000 acre and in 2007, MID supplied
88,000 acres of land with water. MID's 2015-16 budget was
$78 million with $86 million in revenue.
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3)Existing state programs. The 2015-16 state budget
appropriated $35 million to the Department of Water Resources
(DWR) to implement agricultural water efficiency programs.
DWR provided $30 million for competitive grants. The
guidelines for these grants were completed January 27, 2016
and applications are due by March 30, 2016. Irrigation
districts are among the eligible applicants for these grants.
Project types to be funded are those that will produce
potential benefits to the State including: technical
assistance, training, education and public outreach.
The Office of Sustainable Water Solutions within the State
Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) provides technical and
other assistance to entities otherwise unable to access funds.
While DWR does not have an arm analogous to the Office of
Sustainable Water Solutions to aid disadvantaged communities,
grant program managers will assist potential applicants with
technical questions.
It is not clear if the communal farms that this bill would
provide funding for would win an agricultural water use
efficiency grant. However, MID is in a position to apply for
a grant, appears to have the resources to apply, and if not
could request assistance, if needed, to aid with the grant.
Additionally, if there is concern that a grant application
focused solely on communal farms would not be funded, the
potential exists for MID to build a larger application. A
larger application could include communal farms and additional
efficiencies such as addressing the 75% of the 825 miles of
water distribution facilities that MID operates.
4)Implementation concerns. This bill includes significant
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reporting requirements added by the Water, Parks and Wildlife
Committee. It also casts MID, rather than a state agency, in
the role of determining if funds should be provided for farms
statewide based on the use of this modest appropriation. The
bill refers to an evaluation of the program, however, the bill
does not create a program but instead appropriates funding for
limited, targeted purposes.
The author may wish to work with the policy committee and
others to modify the reporting requirements.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Galehouse / APPR. / (916)
319-2081