WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) led members of the California Republican congressional delegation to President Biden and Governor Newsom urging them to waive impediments to Delta pump operations to ensure none of the current storm flows in California go to waste. The lawmakers also urged President Biden and Governor Newsom to prioritize and expedite water storage projects that would help the state be better prepared for future storm events.

“Government regulations should not and must not deny our constituents critical water from these storms. While we cannot make it rain, we must take advantage of opportunities to store water when it does and maximize what can be moved at all times through the Delta for the duration of these storms,” the lawmakers wrote.

Congressman Valadao was joined in the letter by Reps. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), John Duarte (CA-13), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Jay Obernolte (CA-23) and Tom McClintock (CA05).

Background:

From October 1, 2021 to January 8, 2023, over 8.5 million acre-feet of inflow water to the Delta has been sent into the ocean. With the current storm conditions, the Delta is seeing an inflow of 180,000 acre-feet of water per day. Under current regulations, the pumps that are in place to deliver water to farms, homes, and businesses are not permitted to run at their full built pumping capacity. Investing in water storage and conveyance projects will allow California to be better prepared for these kinds of unpredictable flow events.

The full letter can be found here and below.

In light of the drought and recent storms in California, We ask you to maximize pumping of stormwater and unregulated flows in the Delta to the fullest extent possible. We also ask you to prioritize and expedite water storage projects that would help us better prepare for future storm events like the ones we are experiencing.

The recent atmospheric river events have drenched the entire state of California, with rainfall totals 400-600 percent above average values, exceeding ten inches in some areas of the state. Moreover, atmospheric models indicate that California faces an elevated likelihood of additional atmospheric river activity in the coming days. The ground is now saturated, meaning additional rain will manifest almost entirely as runoff through the Delta.

The past few years of catastrophic man-made drought have crushed California families and farms, and with supply chain disruptions further hamstringing our agricultural producers, we have a moral obligation to provide Californians any relief that is within our control. Government regulations should not and must not deny our constituents critical water from these storms. While we cannot make it rain, we must take advantage of opportunities to store water when it does and maximize what can be moved at all times through the Delta for the duration of these storms.

We urge your administrations to direct relevant federal and state agencies to waive all impediments that limit operations of the Delta pumps to ensure none of these storm flows go to waste. Time is of the essence. 

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