As CA's Drought Conditions Worsen, RivCo GOP Lawmaker Pushes Bill

CORONA, CA — Half of California is in extreme drought — including a swath of Riverside County.

With no relief in sight, a Southwest Riverside County congressman is leaning on the federal government to take legislative action.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and a coalition of Golden State GOP lawmakers are urging the House Natural Resources Committee to hold a hearing on California’s current drought situation. On Tuesday, the lawmakers sent a letter to the committee leaders — and to leaders of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee — pushing for prioritization on H.R. 737.

If passed, the bill co-authored by Calvert would extend California provisions of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act through fiscal year 2028.

President Barack Obama signed the WIIN Act into law in late 2016. The California portion of the Act — Subtitle J — is set to expire later this year unless an extension is brokered.

Subtitle J calls for, among other things, the "approval of operations or temporary projects to provide additional water supplies as quickly as possible" in California while still adhering to state and federal laws/regulations.

“The WIIN Act provides vital funding for projects that help deliver water to millions of Californians," Jeffery Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said in a released statement.

There has been debate, however, about how far Subtitle J should go when it comes to infrastructure projects that impact the environment. In Obama's WIIN Act signing statement, the president wrote, "I interpret and understand Subtitle J to require continued application and implementation of the Endangered Species Act, consistent with the close and cooperative work of federal agencies with the State of California to assure that state water quality standards are met."

"Rep. Calvert does not believe the WIIN Act undermines the Endangered Species Act,” Jason Gagnon, spokesperson for Calvert, told Patch.

"We may not agree on all of the prescriptions for combating drought, but we hope you agree with us that the time is now to focus on these matters," the GOP lawmakers wrote in their April 27 letter. "Our constituents do not deserve to watch Congress do nothing while their communities are increasingly in danger of becoming parched and/or going up in flames. We stand ready to work with you on what we believe can be bipartisan drought solutions."

On Friday, the House Natural Resources Committee was holding a hearing on wildfires.

Still, Calvert and his fellow lawmakers say the committee has yet to take any action on H.R. 737, despite the natural disaster declaration by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on March 5 that makes California growers eligible to seek federal loans.

As of Friday, the committee's website shows the state's drought issue is not on its calendar.

“It is becoming clearer by the day that the drought conditions will have serious repercussions for families in southern California and for the farmers who put food on our nation’s grocery store shelves," Calvert said. "We understand the committee has a variety of priorities it intends to tackle in the 117th Congress, but we hope to collaborate with Chairman Grijalva and Chairman Huffman on bipartisan solutions to the drought. We hope that the California Democrats on the committee will work with us to elevate the drought on the committee’s agenda.”

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a regional drought emergency in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The executive order will bring resources and aid to the two counties.

Nearly all of Riverside County is in extreme or severe drought, according to the federal government's National Integrated Drought Information System.

Precipitation levels are measured July 1 through June 30. As spring winds down and summer sets in, the drought is not expected to improve.

Rep. Mike Garcia (CA-25) is the lead author on H.R. 737. In a released statement, the Congressman who represents North Los Angeles County said, “California cannot afford to relive the devastation of recent droughts. We have to think ahead and maintain these water provisions to prepare for dry years to come."