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House Committee Holds Hearing on Water Storage, Sites Reservoir Proposal

September 10, 2014

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) today spoke in support of a measure that would accelerate the development of new surface water storage facilities, including Sites Reservoir in Northern California. H.R. 5412, sponsored by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), streamlines the Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study process for surface water storage facilities by putting hard deadlines on study completion and authorizing construction of projects that are found feasible. The legislation also includes reporting and transparency requirements to provide agency justifications on why feasibility studies are not being completed in a timely manner.

"California's water crisis is a direct result of a failure to invest in new water supplies over the past few decades. This measure accelerates studies of new water storage projects and sets criteria for construction of those projects, including Sites Reservoir," said LaMalfa. "If projects like Sites were in place today, we wouldn't be coping with billions in drought-related economic damage to our economy. Our cities wouldn't be experiencing water rationing, our farmers wouldn't be fallowing fields and food prices would not be increasing. It's time to end the decades of inaction and begin addressing California's long-term water needs."

Testifying on the proposal was Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority general manager Jeff Sutton, who has a background in water law and whose family has farmed in the Northern Central Valley since the 1870s.

"This drought is a predictable, preventable crisis and a great many of its impacts could be addressed with better planning and new water storage facilities," added Sutton.

Similar to LaMalfa's Sacramento Valley Water Storage and Restoration Act of 2014 (HR 4300), H.R. 5412 seeks to end expensive and interminable feasibility studies that have delayed water projects like Sites Reservoir. Despite bipartisan support from around the state, ten years of work and millions in state and federal funds, the project study has yet to be completed.

Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.

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