Flood control efforts in California’s Central Valley get a boost in sprawling water legislation that reaches the House floor Tuesday.
No, it’s not the drought-inspired, California-only bill that has inspired so much wrangling in recent years. That remains stuck.
Instead, following the Senate’s lead, the House is taking up its latest version of the Water Resources Development Act. The amended bill authorizes 31 Army Corps of Engineers projects and 29 feasibility studies, among other measures.
“This bill is by no means perfect,” said Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Penn., the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, “but it’s a good bill.”
The Valley is covered on the House committee by Reps. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, and John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, with Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, also picking up a slice neasr Redding. They help tend to the region.
Every Corps activity in this bill is locally driven and reviewed by the Corps according to strict congressionally established criteria.
Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Penn., chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The bill, for instance, authorizes feasibility studies for flood control work along Merced County streams as well as in the Cache Creek Settling Basin in Yolo County, northeast of the town of Woodland. House members also order “expedited completion” of current studies, including along the Sacramento River and the Lower San Joaquin River.
In a small move that’s undoubtedly meaningful to some, the House bill adds Reclamation District 17 in San Joaquin County to the scope of the Lower San Joaquin River study.
On California projects that have already had feasibility studies completed, the House bill authorizes hundreds of millions of dollars for American River and West Sacramento flood-control work.
The House is considering a host of amendments Tuesday, with passage expected Wednesday.
The House bill must still be reconciled with a competing version passed by the Senate on Sept. 15. One big difference, which has prompted Democratic discontent with the House bill, revolves around providing federal clean-water aid to Flint, Mich. The bills also differ about funds for helping protect Lake Tahoe.
Michael Doyle: 202-383-6153, @MichaelDoyle10
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