The Bureau of Reclamation recently increased the water allocation for
south-of-delta users from 40 percent to 45 percent.
Any additional water in the Central Valley is welcome, and a 45 percent
allocation is surely better than the zero allocation we were receiving not long
ago. This increase comes amid another positive development, which is that most
Valley water agencies and ag groups are now speaking with one voice and have
ended the circular firing squad that, for a long time, held back Valley efforts
to get more water.
Still, there is a lot more work to do. The Valley should be getting a 100
percent allocation. Environmental regulations that result in billions of
gallons of water being flushed into the ocean, the operation of the pumps at less
than capacity, and the lack of adequate storage are crucial problems that
diminish our water security. The House of Representatives has passed numerous
bills to solve these problems, all of which have been killed by Democratic
opposition in the Senate. So long as Senate Democrats
refuse to provide Valley communities the full allocation we're
entitled to, our fight for water will continue.
