[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 182 (Friday, October 31, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1024-E1025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING LOWER PUTAH CREEK COORDINATING COMMITTEE

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 31, 2025

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee, an outstanding organization 
in our community. Their 25 years of dedicated service and commitment to 
restoring Putah Creek demonstrate why they deserve recognition today.
  The Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee (LPCCC) was established 
in 2000 under the Putah Creek Accord, a landmark water settlement 
adopted following years of legal action between Solano County water 
users and Yolo County environmental advocates. The Accord mandated 
year-round flows to protect fish and wildlife resources while 
respecting landowner water rights. The Committee was created to oversee 
implementation of the settlement, hire a permanent streamkeeper, and 
coordinate creek studies and restoration. The LPCCC represents the 
Boards of Supervisors of Solano and Yolo Counties, the Cities of Davis, 
Fairfield, Suisun, Vacaville, Vallejo and Winters, the Solano County 
Water Agency, the Solano Irrigation District, the Maine Prairie Water 
District, the University of California, Davis, the Putah Creek Council 
and riparian landowners. The Committee's mission is to protect, 
monitor, and enhance the resources of lower Putah Creek within the 
framework of the Accord while serving as a forum for dialogue among 
stakeholders.
  The Committee's commitment to our community is clear from their 
extensive restoration work. Lower Putah Creek stretches 30 miles from 
below Monticello Dam to the Yolo Bypass through Solano and Yolo 
Counties. Over the past 25 years, the Committee has led the restoration 
of over 20 miles of creek habitat by remeandering channels, removing 
invasive species such as Arundo and Himalayan Blackberry, replanting 
native vegetation, and reconnecting the stream to its historical 
floodplain. Their work has leveraged millions of dollars in funding to 
enhance ecological function, water quality, flood protection, and 
climate resilience while maintaining strong partnerships with 
landowners and agencies. The Committee developed a Watershed Management 
Action Plan that documents the history and present conditions of the 
creek and provides comprehensive assessment of biological, physical, 
and cultural resources.
  The Committee has rightfully been recognized for the measurable 
impact of their restoration efforts. Their work has improved 
groundwater recharge, reduced erosion, and increased the resilience of 
the creek corridor

[[Page E1025]]

to drought and climate change impacts. They have successfully engaged 
the community through working groups and annual meetings, with nearly 
60 percent of landowners along the creek participating in restoration 
projects. The Committee owns specialized equipment including earth 
movers and hydroseeders that allow them to accomplish restoration tasks 
effectively. Most notably, Chinook salmon have returned to Putah Creek 
each fall to spawn, a remarkable comeback that has been celebrated by 
our community members and environmentalists. The Winters Salmon 
Festival now celebrates the return of these iconic fish each October, 
honoring both the salmon and the decades of restoration work by 
countless volunteers.
  Mr. Speaker, we thank the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee 
for their dedicated service to our community and their commitment to 
protecting our natural resources. Therefore, it is fitting and proper 
that we honor them here today on the 25th anniversary of the Putah 
Creek Accord.

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