[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H6269-H6270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WATER SUPPLY IN THE VALLEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Costa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I draw attention to the human right to have 
water to sustain ourselves.
  Benjamin Franklin once said about this precious resource, water, that 
``When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.''
  In the San Joaquin Valley, I can tell you we know the worth of water. 
It is the lifeblood of our Valley communities and our agricultural 
economy. We like to say, Where water flows, food grows.
  The Valley is one of the most advanced agricultural regions in the 
world. We produce over 250 crops that provide over 50 percent of the 
United States' fruits and vegetables on America's dinner table every 
night. The bounty of nature of food that we produce is coaxed out of 
the ground by some of the hardest working people you will ever meet, 
farmers and farmworkers, and it relies on a clean and reliable water 
resource.
  And America's food supply, make no mistake about it, is a national 
security issue. I have spent decades working for commonsense short- and 
long-term solutions to address California's broken water system. When I 
served in the California legislature, I carried multiple bonds that 
were passed that provided over $2 billion for crucial water projects.
  While in Congress, I have advanced legislation that have improved 
water supplies and funding for projects in many different ways: The 
North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program, which helps irrigate over 
44,000 acres in western Merced and Stanislaus Counties with local and 
recycled water, and the San Luis-Delta Mendota Intertie project, which 
brings up to over 35,000 acre-feet of water annually to most of our 
rural Valley communities to advance efforts that are so important, that 
make a difference.
  In addition, that doesn't include the success of the WIIN Act, 
bipartisan legislation which I helped lead through 4 years of tough 
negotiations. It became law in 2016. The WIIN Act creates more 
flexibility to move water based on real-time water realities and 
provides authorization for $563 million in Federal funds for water 
projects, like expanding Shasta Reservoir, like raising San Luis 
Reservoir, and like creating Temperance Flat.
  Just this month, legislation I introduced to allow local water 
districts to improve the efficiency of dams passed the House. I call on 
the Senate to move this bill to the President's desk.
  In the Valley, this would allow the Merced Irrigation District to 
advance a project to raise the spillway at New Exchequer Dam. This 
would increase the supply of water, over 56,000 acre-feet of water--
much needed.
  However, it seems like every time we are able increase our drought 
resilience, State or Federal regulators decide that they need to take 
more water from the Valley. It is wrong and it is unfair.
  The most recent attempt to repurpose the Valley water supplies came 
earlier this month by the California State Water Board. Staff released 
the final draft of a plan that is simply unacceptable. And I must say, 
it is pretty easy to reallocate water when it is not your water supply. 
That is what the State board did.
  The plan, if adopted, will effectively double the amount of water 
that must

[[Page H6270]]

remain in the San Joaquin River tributaries. This will force thousands 
of acres of farmland out of production, ravaging communities across the 
Valley, and weakening America's food security and its supply.
  The board staff claims these changes are necessary to prevent total 
collapse of the fisheries in the Delta But this plan will not save 
fish, sadly. It does not address the other problems that faces the 
fisheries; namely, rising water temperatures, lack of food, habitat, 
and increased predators, none of which have anything to do with the 
water flows.

  This plan is in direct conflict with another California law that 
mandates we must use our groundwater more sustainably, which must be 
done. We must come into balance. However, it is impossible to use 
groundwater sustainably when we must pump groundwater to replace the 
surplus water that is being taken away. These actions are in conflict. 
It doesn't make any sense.
  Our agricultural economy is showing tremendous innovation, growing 
twice as much food on a fraction of the water that we used to receive. 
But we have reached the tipping point--a point where the taking of the 
resource outstrips our ability to innovate.
  Without water, we cannot feed America or maintain our quality of 
life, our sustenance. Our Valley and our Nation need long-term 
solutions that provides for reliable sources of safe drinking water, 
water for agricultural industries, as well as for our cities.
  We, in the Valley, the San Joaquin Valley will continue to fight for 
the water we need to grow America's food. Because, in the Valley, we 
know the worth of water. We know it when the well runs dry, as Benjamin 
Franklin said.
  So, in conclusion, we must work together in California to fix our 
broken water system for the long-term benefits of America's food 
supply.

                          ____________________