and communities. The state’s water grab is an unprecedented assault on the Central Valley’s water, economy and livelihood and would drain Valley reservoirs, stop hydropower generation, and flush badly needed fresh water out to the ocean.“The future of the Valley is at stake,” said Rep. Denham. “Sacramento’s water grab is the biggest threat we face, and it must be stopped at all costs.”
Rep. Denham passed an amendment through the U.S. House of Representatives in July to prohibit federal agencies from participating in the state’s plan to deplete the federally owned New Melones Reservoir. The U.S. Senate has failed to act, putting at risk the entire Central Valley region and the agriculture industry it relies on.
Rep. Denham’s letter also addresses the future of Don Pedro Reservoir, where bureaucrats in Sacramento are using the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to shut down hydropower generation and drastically increase flows on the Tuolumne River. The NMFS Sacramento office is essentially holding the Department of Energy, Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture hostage through the hydropower relicensing process as they try to flush insane amounts of our usable water into the ocean, all while charging Valley residents hundreds of millions of dollars to put an experimental fish passage at Don Pedro. No available science supports this idea.
“If Sacramento’s plan proceeds, this will be the most expensive hydropower relicensing in history,” Rep. Denham said.
Rep. Denham has worked extensively with Secretary Ryan Zinke and the Department of the Interior to stop both attempted water grabs out of Sacramento and protect Central Valley residents.
Read Rep. Denham’s full letter here, and to learn more about what Rep. Denham is doing to fight for water in the Valley, visit www.Denham.house.gov/water.
Earlier this year, Rep. Denham also released an animated video on NMFS Sacramento’s dangerous power grab, which can be viewed here.
Source: Congressman Jeff Denham
