U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, secured federal support for Oregon farmers as part of the larger America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which became law on Oct. 23 with the president’s signature.
The S. 3021 package includes provisions from the Water Resources Development Act of 2018, H.R. 8, which authorizes $10 million annually for four years to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to implement needed drought relief measures for the agriculture community in the state’s Klamath Basin, according to Rep. Walden’s office.
“This is good news for farmers, ranchers, and water users in the Klamath Basin who are just getting through another challenging water year,” Rep. Walden said following the signing ceremony for S. 3021.
The congressman said that the annual funding authorization to the BOR will be used to help with groundwater pumping, among other drought-relief measures. Rep. Walden worked with several of his House colleagues to include H.R. 8 provisions in S. 3021 that also will guide the BOR on how to spend the federal funds.
“This will ensure needed relief makes it to irrigators who suffered added costs and losses this water year, and will help ensure we are prepared if our farmers are hit again in a future drought year,” said Rep. Walden, who commended the Trump administration for prioritizing farmers in his home state.
Additionally, the new law contains provisions Rep. Walden championed in committee regarding hydropower development and safe drinking water, such as the Promoting Closed-Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower Act, H.R. 2880; the Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act, H.R. 2872; and the Drinking Water System Improvement Act, H.R. 3387, among others.
“Importantly, this legislation also includes measures to boost hydropower development in Oregon and modernize our drinking water infrastructure so communities have safe water to drink when they turn on the faucet,” said Rep. Walden. “Each of these issues have been priorities for me in Congress and I am pleased to see that they were included in this landmark water package.”