REP. GRAY APPLAUDS LONG AWAITED BOOST TO CENTRAL VALLEY WATER SUPPLY

Merced, CA – This week, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that it will move forward with a revised operation plan for the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP). The plan increases water availability while upholding environmental standards and meeting existing regulatory requirements.

“I am encouraged to see California receiving long-overdue resources to maximize our state water supply,” said Representative Gray. “This updated plan for the Central Valley Project is especially vital to the Valley, whose unmatched agricultural output drives our local and national economy. Our community has long understood that we don’t have to choose between dependable water access and responsible wildlife protection. We can achieve both.”

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, this package is designed to increase water deliveries, ease dry year restrictions on the Central Valley Project and State Water Project and allow expanded land use through greater water availability.

Action 5 Operational Updates for CVP and SWP:

• Removal of the Delta Smelt Summer and Fall Habitat Action (Fall X2): Actions are not said to yield benefits to Delta smelt.
• Updated Delta Operating Criteria: The Old and Middle River (OMR) limit is being revised to no more than -5,000 cfs (up from -3,500 cfs) and may be set higher. Findings from two decades of fisheries monitoring and assessment determine that operating at this level has almost insignificant effects on endangered aquatic species.
• Revised Governance Structure: Ensures that actions limiting water supply are supported by population-level benefits to listed species, informed by predictive tools for environmental evaluation.