[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6141-S6143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer):
  S. 1894. A bill to provide short-term water supplies to drought-
stricken California; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the 
historic drought that is devastating California and much of the West 
and to introduce the California Emergency Drought Relief Act along with 
Senator Boxer.
  The toll on some of our most vulnerable communities is mounting.
  As of July, 2,091 wells are already dry or will soon run out of 
water. This puts more than 10,000 people in jeopardy.
  Rural and disadvantaged communities are some of the hardest hit.
  Just this month, the Washington Post reported that arsenic had been 
found in wells serving St. Anthony's mobile home park in the Coachella 
Valley at twice the safe concentration.
  In Porterville, Californians are bathing themselves with bottled 
water.
  California is also suffering a massive loss of agriculture 
production.
  A study from UC Davis estimates that farmers will fallow 563,000 
acres in 2015, a 35 percent increase from last year when farmers 
fallowed 410,000 acres.
  The State's agriculture sector stands to lose $1.8 billion in direct 
agricultural costs this year, on top of $1.5 billion last year.
  The San Joaquin Valley is at the epicenter of the drought, and the 
possible damage to our nation's food supply is dire.

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  The Valley is home to 90 percent of the country's tomatoes, 74 
percent of our lettuce, and 95 percent of our broccoli. The drought's 
effects on the Valley will extend far beyond California's borders.
  But the devastating consequences of this drought aren't limited to a 
single region.
  UC Davis also reports that California's economy will lose an 
estimated $2.7 billion in 2015, along with 18,600 jobs.
  That is on top of $2.2 billion last year and 17,100 jobs lost.
  Effects on the environment are also destructive.
  Groundwater reserves in underground aquifers are being depleted, 
which is causing the surrounding land to sink.
  Delta smelt are at their lowest levels since surveys first began in 
1959, while Chinook salmon are imperiled by warmer water in the 
Sacramento River.
  Saltwater from the San Francisco Bay threatens to contaminate 
freshwater in the Delta, imperiling an entire ecosystem, not to mention 
the ill effects on drinking water supplies and farmland.
  Finally, we can't ignore the increasing threat of wildfires. Since 
January 1, the U.S. Forest Service reports more than 5,000 fires have 
burned on state and federal lands, a 10 percent increase over last 
year.
  Despite the high likelihood of a strong El Nino this year, one wet 
season won't fix the problems. Experts estimate that California needs 
at least three above-average precipitation years to cover the current 
37 million acre-foot deficit.
  Doing nothing is simply not an option.
  In drafting the bill we're introducing today, we started with the 
bill that unanimously passed the Senate in 2014.
  We then modified that bill, adding significant environmental 
protections and removing controversial provisions.
  We also included a range of provisions to protect and restore 
threatened and endangered species, as well as a number of programs to 
support long-term infrastructure projects like desalination, water 
recycling and storage.
  My staff and I have taken dozens of meetings since January.
  We have met with Congressional Republicans and Democrats, 
environmental groups, water districts, and State and local officials.
  My California staff has visited water projects throughout the State 
to collect ideas, and my staff in Washington has consulted closely with 
Federal agencies to ensure the bill adheres to environmental law.
  By releasing a bill this summer, months before the rainy season, 
Congress and the public will have ample time to review, debate and, 
where necessary, suggest improvements.
  I expect the bill will receive a committee hearing, allowing every 
member of Congress and the public to weigh in.
  Let me briefly discuss how this bill will help.
  Federal policy will be most effective if it is aligned with the 
State's goals and the State water bond.
  This means expanding Federal efforts to include long-term solutions 
such as desalination, recycling and storage. We also must look at ways 
to help communities that are running out of water.
  To help those communities, the bill includes a new program to assist 
areas that have suffered the brunt of the drought, communities like 
Porterville and others in Tulare County.
  Providing emergency supplies like bottled water is a no-brainer, but 
it is a short-term fix.
  We need to look beyond this emergency at ways we can shift these 
communities from vulnerable water sources like wells to more 
sustainable and resilient water systems.
  We also need to take a close look at desalination and water 
recycling. These are two of the most promising technologies that may 
offer long-term solutions.
  The bill identifies 26 desalination projects capable of producing 
more than 330,000 acre-feet of water.
  It also identifies 105 recycling projects with the potential to 
produce about 854,000 acre-feet of water.
  That is a total of 1.2 million acre-feet of clean water per year, 
enough for 2.4 million households.
  But these projects aren't cheap. That is why the bill funds a loan-
guarantee program and other financing mechanisms to help make these 
projects a reality.
  Another area we should focus on is storage. This drought has showed 
that our reservoir capacity is insufficient.
  Given the consensus that droughts will grow more severe, we have to 
increase how much water we can hold from wet to dry years.
  The bill positions the Federal Government as a partner with 
California to build new reservoirs and expand existing reservoirs.
  Conservation and groundwater recharge are two more promising areas. 
While cities and towns are doing their part, the bill also identifies 
areas where the Federal, state and local governments and the ag sector 
can do more.
  Finally, the Federal Government can play a significant role in 
supporting research on promising technologies, from recapturing energy 
and improving membranes used in desalination to developing strategies 
to minimize environmental effects of smart-water strategies.
  The bill also includes a number of short-term, low-cost proposals to 
protect and assist in the recovery of fish populations, including 
salmon and smelt.
  This includes authorizations to implement the Endangered Species Act 
recovery plan for salmon; trap-and-barge fish and address predator 
species, two ways to reduce mortality rates; create additional spawning 
habitat for endangered and threatened species; and improving how water 
systems are managed using the latest science and technology.
  The bill's short-term provisions build on legislation that 
unanimously passed the Senate in 2014, with added protections for 
environmental and water rights and the removal of several provisions to 
address environmental concerns.
  The bill's short-term provisions will help move water efficiently to 
those areas where it is most needed.
  Let me be clear--this language was carefully drafted to remain 
consistent with environmental laws, including the Endangered Species 
Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as all biological opinions.
  Here are some examples of how the short-term section works.
  First, by operating the water systems with more precision, we will be 
able to monitor for endangered species like the Delta Smelt and adjust 
pumping levels to avoid harming fish. By doing this, more water can be 
moved to the communities that need it while protecting endangered and 
threatened species.
  The bill also directs agencies to open the Cross-Channel Gates on the 
Sacramento River during times when salmon are not migrating. This would 
allow thousands of acre feet of water to be moved without harming fish 
or water quality.
  For water transfers in the Delta--where water sellers and buyers can 
help get water where it's needed--we included many additional 
protections. Every transfer will be reviewed to ensure it is consistent 
with environmental laws. The transfers, which can only occur in April 
and May, must include only additional water pumped into the Delta on 
top of the regular river flow.
  Moving water more efficiently will help supply water to millions of 
Californians in urban areas, from Silicon Valley to Southern 
California.
  It will also increase water allocations for family farms in the San 
Joaquin Valley. More than 15,000 small farms served by the Friant Water 
Authority--with an average size of just 83 acres--would benefit.
  I have introduced many bills during my years in the Senate, and this 
may be the most difficult.
  Nevertheless, the goal has remained constant: a bill that can get 
signed into law that benefits all regions of the State.
  Congress worked together after Hurricanes Katrina ravaged the Gulf 
Coast and Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast.
  I think we now have a bill that will help the West survive this 
historic drought.
  I look forward to a committee hearing on this bill and to public 
input to make it even better.

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