August 6, 2021 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $71 million in federal funding for 20 projects across California in the Senate’s Agriculture, Energy and Water, and Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee bills. The bills were approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee this week and now await passage by the full Senate. 

“I’m proud to support projects that will strengthen our water infrastructure, improve our ability to fight fires, and help develop small businesses,” Senator Padilla said. “I am constantly working to help meet the needs of California’s diverse population, economy, and geography. And in response to the current drought and wildfires, I will keep fighting to secure federal funding to increase California’s water resiliency and aid communities across California.”

In the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, Padilla secured $36.486 million in funding for the following community projects to improve water resiliency by expanding storage and reuse:

• $1.3 million for Calaveras County treatment plant and water reclamation facility

This funding is for a US Army Corps of Engineers project to ensure that the Calaveras County treatment plant and water reclamation facility will comply with current and future regulations, meet local demand for reclaimed water, and facilitate projected growth.

• $1 million for levee construction at Bel Marin Keys in Marin County

This funding is for US Army Corps of Engineers construction of the levee at Bel Marin Keys, which is necessary to prepare the site to receive dredged material and ultimately be opened up to the Bay.

• $3.79 million for water pipeline extensions in the City of Carson

This funding will support the installation of 3,000 feet of pipeline extensions and assist in saving drinking water to supply households. This project will deliver approximately 35 acre-feet of recycled water for use at Mills Memorial Park and Curtiss Middle School, which are both in a disadvantaged area of the community. This is one segment of the West Basin Municipal Water District’s larger Harbor South Bay project, which is a cooperative effort with the US Army Corps of Engineers to develop up to 48,000 acre-feet of recycled water for municipal and environmental uses in the Los Angeles area.

• $650,000 for wastewater infrastructure along the New River in Imperial County

This funding would help plan, design, and construct wastewater infrastructure along the New River to address long-standing, systemic water infrastructure and pollution issues.

• $3.6 million for the California State Coastal Conservancy’s Resilient San Francisco Bay Pilot Project

This funding will help expand the Coastal Conservancy’s pilot program, in conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers, to test for the beneficial use of dredged sediment to prevent erosion of shorelines and provide flood risk management.

• $75,000 for the City of Roseville and Placer County Water Agency’s Cooperative Reliability Project

This funding will support the City of Roseville and Placer County Water Agency’s Cooperative Reliability Project with the US Army Corps of Engineers to install 4,500 feet of pipeline to improve water supply, flow, and pressure.

• $200,000 for Salton Sea Perimeter Lake Feasibility Study

This funding will support the Salton Sea Authority and US Army Corps of Engineers’ Salton Sea Perimeter Lake Feasibility Study to facilitate the development of a long-term solution to address future playa exposure and the associated public health and environmental impacts.

• $2 million for flood controls in Lower Cache Creek in Yolo County

This funding will support a US Army Corps of Engineers project to plan, engineer, and design flood control for Lower Cache Creek.

• $200,000 to examine flood mitigation proposals in San Joaquin County

This funding will support a US Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study to examine flood mitigation proposals for the second phase of the larger Lower San Joaquin River Flood Control Project encompassing the City of Stockton and the San Joaquin County region. 

• $1.6 million to identify flood risk management and ecosystem restoration options in the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline

This funding will support a US Army Corps of Engineers study to identify flood risk management and ecosystem restoration options for the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project. The goal of the Shoreline Project is to protect the parts of Santa Clara County’s shoreline with the highest potential damages and threats to human health and safety from flooding, using a combination of flood protection levees and wetlands.

• $525,000 for dredging of Santa Cruz Harbor

This funding will support the US Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging efforts, which are critical to maintaining safe and navigable depths at Santa Cruz Harbor.

• $2.146 million for dredging of Ventura Harbor

This funding will support the US Army Corps of Engineers’ maintenance dredging, which is required annually to ensure adequate navigational depths for safety, commerce, and operations at Ventura Harbor.

• $10 million for groundwater treatment in the San Gabriel Basin

This funding will help reimburse costs associated with treatment and remediation of the groundwater treatment facilities in the San Gabriel Basin in Los Angeles County.

• $5 million for Sacramento River Flood Plain reactivation

This funding will help accelerate efforts to reactivate historic floodplains along the Sacramento River to build resiliency in both California’s environment and water systems by: supporting the abundant return of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway; revitalizing river food webs and supporting the recovery of salmon populations; recharging precious groundwater aquifers; and improving flood protection in an era of increasing storm severity and a changing climate.

• $3.9 million for Sacramento River Fish Screen Program

This funding will support the installation of fish screens along the Sacramento River to provide essential protection to threatened and endangered fish species and to ensure a sustainable, efficient, and reliable water supply for agricultural and municipal needs.

• $500,000 for Los Banos Creek Water Recharge and Recovery Project

This funding will support an expansion of water storage and recovery efforts at Los Banos Creek in Santa Cruz County. The project will convert two rock quarry pits into temporary storage/recharge basins; construct one additional recharge pond; construct two storage recovery sump pumps; four shallow groundwater recovery wells; two weirs, and a turnout structure in Los Banos Creek.

A full summary of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water and Related Agencies’ bill is available here.

In the Agriculture Appropriations bill, Padilla secured $1.65 million in funding for the following rural community projects:

• $1.05 million for fire suppression equipment in North San Juan

This funding will support the installation of a 330,000-gallon water storage tank, pipeline, and fire hydrants in North San Juan, Nevada County, to allow for pressurized water delivery for fire suppression in the downtown core.

• $205,000 for the Eastern Sierra Small Business Center in Inyo County

This funding will support the development of a center to help small businesses in the Eastern Sierra region.

• $395,000 for groundwater recharge San Joaquin County

This funding will support the South System Groundwater Recharge Project’s efforts to modernize the southern portion of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District’s surface water irrigation system. This will build long-term resilience against drought by providing surface water for irrigation in-lieu of groundwater pumping.

A full summary of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies’ bill is available here.

In the Military Construction Appropriations bill, Padilla secured funding for the following:

• $33 million to combine both the 940th Squadron Operations and the 940th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Beale Air Force Base in Santa Clara County

This funding will help combine both the 940th Squadron Operations and the 940th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Beale Air Force Base.  Construction of this facility is critical to sustaining the KC-135 aircraft refueling mission that operates out of Beale. A modern facility will help insure the sustainment of the aging KC-135 platform at Beale AFB and the safety of the airmen at the facility.

A full summary of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Activities’ bill is available here.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla