Central Valley Project
Credit: USBR

March 31, 2022 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement in support of the memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday by state and federal agencies and major water districts to provide additional water flows and new habitat to help improve conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed, subject to approval by the State Water Resources Control Board:

“I applaud Governor Newsom for his leadership on the comprehensive water agreement announced this week between federal and state agencies and major water districts. I also appreciate the good-faith negotiations and agreement by the water districts.

“This proposal has the potential to improve populations of salmon runs and other fish species without threatening California’s water supply, a remarkable feat in the context of our significant drought and perpetual water wars.

“I’m concerned that the tributaries of the San Joaquin River are not yet part of this plan. I urge the relevant parties to redouble their efforts to work with water districts on the Merced, Mokelumne, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers to bring them into the agreement as well.

“I also support the increased water conservation measures the state announced on Monday. We need to be more aggressive in our efforts to conserve water to make it through this drought.”

Background

• In 2020, Senator Feinstein, along with Representatives Jim Costa, Josh Harder, TJ Cox and John Garamendi (all D-Calif.) called on the Interior Department and Governor Newsom to negotiate early implementation of voluntary agreements in order to resolve their differences and maintain coordination of operations between the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.
  
  
• In 2019, Senator Feinstein supported voluntary agreements as an alternative to the State Water Resources Control Board’s proposed Water Quality Control Plan.
  
  
• In 2018, Senator Feinstein called for the state to reach a voluntary settlement for the Tuolumne River.
  Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein