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NO SHOW, NO DOUGH, NO H2O

On Friday, September 6, 2024, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife & Fisheries held a hearing in Santa Nella, CA on the subject of Water Abundance: Opportunities and Challenges in California.

The hearing was led by Congressman John Duarte (CA13), and featured Congressmen Cliff Bentz (OR2), David Valadao (CA22), Vince Fong (CA20), Doug LaMalfa (CA1), and Tom McClintock (CA5).

Witness testimony was provided by Allison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District – Jason Phillips, CEO, Friant Water Authority – William Bourdeau, CEO, Bourdeau Farms – John Herrick, Counsel & Manager, South Delta Water Agency – Josh Weimer, Director of External Affairs, Turlock Irrigation District – Ronda Lucas, Attorney, Lucas Law.

The two-hour hearing focused attention on the disastrous consequences of water mismanagement following California’s most recent drought – but also pointed the way toward common sense solutions.

Despite record rainfall last winter, water allocations to Central Valley farmers and cities were astonishingly stingy:  initially just 5%, finally – belatedly – raised to 50%.  This is because water policy decision making is both cumbersome and opaque.  Increasing regulations have reduced flexibility of water operators to adapt to changing conditions.  And recent biological opinions regarding fish species have further restricted water available for human use.

By far the most distressing aspect of the hearing was the three empty chairs – space allocated for the federal government agencies most responsible for water policy in California: the Bureau of Reclamation, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  The agencies were invited to participate.  None bothered to even show up.

This imperious lack of response illustrated a major complaint expressed by the Congressmen, and the witnesses: water policy decisions are made in California by unelected bureaucrats who reject scientific evidence that does not support their predetermined policy decisions, without consequence and without properly exercised Congressional oversight.

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