The California Water Fee has a complete of seven initiatives shifting ahead with Proposition 1 funding that would offer 2.77 million acre-feet of water storage and vital public advantages, assuaging strain on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, above. (Bay Space Information Group File Photograph)
In November 2014, California voters authorized Proposition 1: The Water High quality, Provide, and Infrastructure Enchancment Act. The $7.5 billion bond devoted $2.7 billion for the general public advantages of recent water-storage initiatives. Some ask, “Why haven't any new reservoirs been constructed within the seven years since?” Relaxation assured, there are initiatives within the works. All lately handed a key milestone and are shifting ahead.
Any large-scale water storage undertaking is complicated and requires a excessive diploma of planning, engineering, coordination and vital financing. The California Water Fee has actively overseen the proposed initiatives over the previous six years to assist guarantee they meet statutory necessities, progress on the price dictated by the bond laws and meet the general public advantages promised to voters.
Proposition 1, Chapter 8 designated the fee because the company to manage the Water Storage Funding Program (WSIP). Investing in outlined public advantages is a brand new method to state financing of water storage initiatives. Underneath Proposition 1, public advantages fall into 5 classes: water high quality enchancment, flood management, emergency response, recreation and ecosystem enchancment. To qualify for this system, candidates should present that their undertaking would advance the long-term aims of restoring ecological well being and bettering water administration for useful makes use of of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the crossroads of main water undertaking operations and vital habitat for endangered fish species.
Within the two years after voters handed Proposition 1, the Fee drafted, adopted and authorized laws by a clear public course of. In 2017, native water districts submitted 12 functions for the Proposition 1 funding. Fee workers and state company consultants reviewed every submission. In July 2018, the fee determined the utmost eligible quantity of bond funding that may be made obtainable to fund the general public advantages of eight proposed initiatives. They embody a proposed reservoir in Glenn and Colusa counties that may maintain water piped to it from the Sacramento River and a number of other groundwater banks in Southern California.
Proposition 1 set a single deadline for the water storage program: By Jan. 1, 2022, all undertaking proponents should have accomplished feasibility research, launched a draft model of their environmental paperwork for public overview, supplied documentation of commitments for not less than 75% of the personal profit funding, and have the fee discover that their undertaking is possible. Seven of the initiatives got here earlier than the fee in 2021. All have been discovered possible and stay eligible to proceed in this system.
In November 2020, one applicant withdrew from this system. The fee redistributed a portion of the funding that undertaking would have been eligible for among the many remaining seven initiatives within the type of a 2.5% inflation adjustment. With a further $64 million nonetheless obtainable with the withdrawal of an authentic applicant, the fee reviewed potential new initiatives, two of which accomplished the screening course of in 2021. As well as, the fee has awarded early funding totaling $116 million to assist undertaking proponents full environmental paperwork and permits.
At this level, there are a complete of seven initiatives shifting ahead with Proposition 1 funding that would offer 2.77 million acre-feet of water storage and vital public advantages. Underneath Proposition 1, earlier than any undertaking can obtain its last award of funding, proponents should undergo the fee accomplished environmental paperwork, permits, personal profit cost-share contracts, and contracts with state companies for the administration of public advantages. The fee stays able to award last funding as quickly as these necessities are met.
Every of the seven initiatives is totally different and is continuing at totally different speeds. Some initiatives could also be completed and working inside two years. Others will take longer. Almost definitely to complete first is a south Sacramento County groundwater storage undertaking referred to as Harvest Water. Managed by the Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District, the undertaking would use highly-treated wastewater to exchange groundwater as a supply of water to irrigate farmland and habitat, thus preserving groundwater. The Harvest Water Program hopes to come back earlier than the fee for last funding later this yr.
Issues are getting accomplished. Progress is being made. The fee is finishing up the voters’ intent. We're anxious to fund the initiatives as soon as the statutory necessities have been met, and we look ahead to seeing these initiatives ship the general public advantages related to new water-storage capability so vitally wanted in our state.
Teresa Alvarado is chair and Matthew Swanson is vice-chair of the California Water Fee.