[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COLUSA BASIN WATERSHED INTEGRATED RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. VIC FAZIO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 15, 1998

  Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know all too 
well, some of our most contentious public policy debates concern the 
management of natural resources. We have all spent many, many hours 
arguing over conflicting economic and environmental needs, especially 
in the West.
  Fortunately, a new approach to natural resources management has 
emerged. It emphasizes compatibility rather than conflict. It relies on 
consensus to develop solutions. It seeks to provide multiple benefits 
to the environment and to urban and rural communities.
  The Colusa Basin Watershed Integrated Resources Management Plan 
embodies this new approach. It is a comprehensive water management 
program that will provide flood protection and increase surface and 
groundwater supplies while enhancing wetland and riparian habitat for 
wildlife in a million-acre watershed in the Sacramento Valley of 
California.
  I am pleased today to introduce the Colusa Basin Watershed Integrated 
Resources Management Act, which will authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to participate in this innovative program.
  Over many decades, devastating floods have repeatedly struck the 
Colusa Basin, resulting in the loss of life and costly damages to 
public and private property. In 1995, the Basin suffered an estimated 
$100 million in flood damage. Flooding in early 1997 again caused 
serious losses, and today the region is counting the cost of flooding 
caused by recent storms.
  Local authorities know that reducing peak storm flows is the key to 
preventing widespread damage. A few years ago, they began to bring 
together representatives of the agricultural and urban communities, 
environmental interests, and state and federal agencies to develop a 
plan that would control peak storm flows, increase water supplies and 
enhance the environment.
  The initial plan was outlined in October 1993, a reconnaissance study 
was completed the following year, and a stakeholder's task force 
conducted a series of public workshops to identify goals for the 
program. What emerged from this collaborative process is a plan for 
construction of several small-scale, environmentally-sound flood 
control and groundwater recharge projects. Site selection and 
environmental analysis for these projects are underway.
  The legislation that I am introducing today will authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the 
program in the form of cost-sharing with local authorities. The Colusa 
Basin Watershed Integrated Resources Plan is strongly supported by 
local governments, and it is compatible with other federal 
environmental restoration and water management programs in the region.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation.

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