Costa announces $6.8M for Valley water projects

Details

Published on 02/08/2012 - 1:25 pm

Written by Business Journal staff

Madera Water Bank site.Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) announced today that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has approved $6.8 million in funding for Central Valley water projects.

The Madera Water Bank project alone will receive $1.5 million to further construction of the underground water storage initiative expected to store up to 250,000 acre-feet of groundwater. The Bureau of Reclamation has a long-term agreement with the Madera Irrigation District for acquisition of 100,000 acre-feet of the storage space should ongoing analysis indicate such storage would pencil out financially.

About $2.5 million will go toward the CALFED Water Use Efficiency and Water Conservation Grant Program to improve Central Valley water conservation and management efforts.

An additional $1.04 million will go toward maintenance at the federal Central Valley Project's Jones Pumpimg Plant located south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The plant pumps delta water to the southern parts of the state and includes large swaths of the Valley's westside. The move should help the plant "operate at full capacity without restrictions," according to a news release from Costa's office.

Another $1.75 million will go toward environmental compliance efforts with the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act. 

“Reclamation’s announcement shows they are thinking outside the box to guarantee an adequate water supply for our Valley,” Costa said in a statement. “This funding is critical to make our projects more reliable and efficient, especially the Madera Water Bank. Water is the lifeblood of our Valley, and these funds mark the Bureau’s commitment meeting our short and long-term water needs. ”