[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 95 (Monday, July 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      WATER SUPPLY, RELIABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. GARY G. MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 9, 2004

  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong 
support of H.R. 2828, the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental 
Improvement Act, to reauthorize the CALFED Bay-Delta Program and 
implement water supply technology and infrastructure programs aimed at 
increasing and diversifying domestic water resources. This 
reauthorization will help address the critical water crisis in the 
Southern California region, effectively improving water supply 
reliability and water quality while enhancing the environment. In 
addition, this bill provides a model for how to make progress in 
enormously complex natural resources issues through a partnership of 
state and federal agencies.
  Many states today are faced with the formidable task of providing 
reliable and safe water resources for a rapidly increasing population. 
This is no exception to California and its growing population of more 
than 30 million people. Southern California's arid climate makes it 
difficult for this region to find viable and dependable sources of 
water. The Interior Department's ruling to reduce the availability of 
Colorado River water to Southern California exacerbated the area's 
water supply problems by diverting approximately 700,000 acre feet of 
water this year alone. The lack of a reliable source of water 
discourages economic growth, jeopardizes the environment and 
compromises the health and safety of Southern California residents. It 
is for this reason that Congress must work to find innovative and 
effective solutions to the challenges posed by such debilitating water 
shortages. H.R. 2828 offers such viable solutions.
  One of the most important elements of this legislation is it will 
finally allow us to begin the process of developing and constructing 
water supply, storage and delivery projects. H.R. 2828 will augment the 
conveyance of water through the Delta, California's most important 
watershed. This will reduce the demand on imported water from the 
Colorado River and other unreliable remote water sources. Through the 
water recycling, desalinization, and groundwater replenishment projects 
authorized by this legislation, California will become more self 
reliant and a better steward of its water resources.
  H.R. 2828 recognizes the importance of improving management and 
coordination of existing water supply projects for meeting present and 
future demands for water in California. The bill would bring a focus to 
developing integrated, regionally-based water management plans as a 
necessary means to help resolve growing conflicts and foster 
cooperation between agencies, utilities, and public interests. It also 
stresses the need for water users to better cooperate and integrate 
their actions to improve water management to solve broad, multi-
dimensional issues.
  This bill equalizes environmental protection and water supply demands 
and effectively provides for the agricultural, municipal, commercial, 
and recreational water needs of the state. Ecosystem-restoration 
projects will help return California's bays, deltas, rivers, and other 
natural habitats to their original ecological state. Projects will be 
authorized as long as the activity has been subject to environmental 
reviews and approvals under applicable federal and state law.
  Perhaps one of the most important elements of this bill is that it 
injects accountability into the process by requiring a cross-cut budget 
detailing the way in which the various agencies intend to use federal 
CALFED dollars. Only through such a process will we know if progress is 
occurring in a reasonable timeframe and, if not, how best to revise the 
program to accomplish the results that we expect.
  I would note that H.R. 2828 is the result of several years of work 
and bipartisanship, which is a true credit to Chairman Pombo and 
Chairman Calvert. Their decade of effort has given hope to a reality of 
enhanced water resources for all Californians. I urge my colleagues to 
support this critical legislation.

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