Jared Huffman: “We often hear about water that flows through the estuary of California's Bay-Delta system, we hear that sometimes…”

“We often hear about water that flows through the estuary of California's Bay-Delta system, we hear that sometimes described as wasted. There are some inconvenient facts that we have to bring up when that happens, like the fact that almost all of that water that flows out through the estuary is to prevent salt water intrusion so that the State and Federal water pumps aren't sending salty water to millions of Californians. That wouldn't work. In fact, if we shut down all of that outflow that my colleague just mentioned, that is exactly what you would see: massive salt water intrusion and a shutdown of the State and Federal water projects. There is also incredible value in the water that flows through that estuary for downstream communities and farmers and senior water right holders, and others who have depended on it for decades. No one understands that better than my colleague who represents some of those communities in the estuary, in the delta, Mike Thompson. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson).”