BILL ANALYSIS
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| SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER |
| Senator Fran Pavley, Chair |
| 2009-2010 Regular Session |
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BILL NO: SB 991 HEARING DATE: April 13, 2010
AUTHOR: Wolk URGENCY: No
VERSION: April 7, 2010 CONSULTANT: Dennis O'Connor
DUAL REFERRAL: No FISCAL: Yes
SUBJECT: Water supply reliability, flood control, water
resources management, and wildlife preservation.
BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW
In November 2006, the voters ratified Proposition 1E. That
proposition authorized about $4.1 billion in general obligation
bonds for various flood management activities. Among the
authorized funding was $3 billion to:
Evaluate, repair, and restore existing levees in the state's
Central Valley flood control system;
Improve or add facilities in order to increase flood
protection for urban areas in the state's Central Valley flood
control system; and
Reduce the risk of levee failure in the Delta region through
grants to local agencies and direct spending by the state.
One of the bills in the water package passed last November in
the 7th Extraordinary Session was SBX7 8 (Steinberg). That
bill, appropriated $170 million in Proposition 1E funds to the
Department of Water Resources (DWR) to reduce the risk of levee
failure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that would
jeopardize water conveyance.
PROPOSED LAW
This bill would appropriate $30 million in Proposition 1E funds
to DWR for flood protection projects that improve the
sustainability of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, including,
but not limited to, projects that reduce the risk of levee
failure that would jeopardize water conveyance.
The bill would also direct DWR to expedite the evaluation of
nonurban levees on the West bank of the Sacramento River that
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protect unincorporated communities and consider a joint project
with local government agencies for improving flood bypass
facilities as multibenefit flood control facilities.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT
According to the author, "By directing this funding to projects
that support the sustainability of the Delta, protect the
State's water supplies, and contribute to flood protection for
small communities and family farms along the Sacramento River,
SB 991 ensures that California receives multiple benefits for
the investment of bond funding."
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ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION: None
COMMENTS: None
SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS: None
SUPPORT
None Received
OPPOSITION
None Received
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