LaMalfa Statement on Interior Recommendation to Fund NorCal Water Projects

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale), State Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Red Bluff), and State Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) recommended providing $33.3 million for water infrastructure projects in accordance with the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act – which was signed into law in December of 2016. DOI recommends the use of these funds to complete the decades-old feasibility study for Sites Reservoir, among other projects.

LaMalfa said: "At the end of 2016, Congress passed the bipartisan WIIN Act to take a major step towards addressing California's water supply and storage crisis. Now, Secretary Zinke is taking the next step by recommending funding to advance critical water projects in California, including Sites Reservoir. It's nice to finally see an Administration that prioritizes water storage and increased flexibility that will benefit both rural and urban areas of California. As much as the state bureaucracy seems allergic to actual progress, our water needs must be addressed in order to secure the long-term future of our state."

Nielsen said: "Congress and the Department of Interior have taken steps to ensure off-stream surface storage, including Sites Reservoir, with the WIIN Act. Californians made a serious commitment for storage by overwhelmingly supporting Proposition 1. Now, it is time for the California Water Commission to support this critical need and to keep faith with voters by approving Proposition 1 funding for Sites Reservoir."

Gallagher said: "It's unreasonable to think that California can conserve its way into the future and still meet the needs of a growing demand on water. We need to build water storage. We need to build Sites Reservoir. I commend the work of Congressman LaMalfa and his federal partners who are working to ensure that funding for water storage projects in the Golden State remains a priority."​

A copy of the recommendation letter can be found here

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