Additional federal funds from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) are vital for several water infrastructure projects in California, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said earlier this week.
Specifically, Rep. McCarthy applauded the BOR’s Fiscal Year 2020 Distribution of Additional Funding plan, which details how the BOR will spend funds appropriated by Congress in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2020.
“I am grateful to President Trump, Interior Secretary Bernhardt, and Reclamation Commissioner Burman for continuing to prioritize critical water infrastructure projects in California,” Rep. McCarthy said on Feb. 4. “These actions will help our state become more drought resilient while also guaranteeing that our communities and agriculture producers receive the water they contract and pay for.”
The congressman said that the plan includes $11 million for repair work on the Friant-Kern Canal and $8 million for design and pre-construction work on the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project — both projects that he said “will be a huge benefit to our communities, all Californians and the environment.”
For instance, Rep. McCarthy said that restoring capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal, which delivers critical water to Tulare and Kern counties, “is expected to increase average annual water deliveries by 8,000 acre-feet.”
At the same time, “the Shasta Enlargement Project will capture and store an additional 634,000 acre-feet of water during wet years for use during future dry years,” he said.
Rep. McCarthy added that he looks forward to working with the Trump administration to ensure that these projects receive their needed funding as soon as possible.