Alex Padilla: “I rise today to introduce legislation to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement…”

“I rise today to introduce legislation to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act. This crucial piece of legislation would simply increase the authorization of funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, SJRRP, which supports one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States while also creating a healthy, living river for Chinook salmon. Increasing the cap for the program will enable the Bureau of Reclamation, the State of California, and key partners to advance projects necessary to the continued success of the program. Our bill retains a provision in the original legislation from 2009 that authorized the SJRRP and set forth a one-for-one match from non-Federal sources for any Federal appropriated dollars. The bill would also increase the authorization of appropriations to help restore canal capacity for the Friant-Kern and Madera Canals to address subsidence. A fully implemented SJRRP is crucial for managing the San Joaquin River system, restoring fish populations, and ensuring reliable water supplies for farmers. Without an increased funding cap, Federal support will likely fall short, threatening both water reliability and ecosystem restoration and undermining decades of collaboration and progress.…”