U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa on Jan 11, introduced a new bill to protect water rights.
HR 289, the “Protect Our Water Rights (POWR) Act,” will give certainty to agriculture producers and irrigators during dry years and hold the Bureau of Reclamation accountable for proper water delivery.
“Building water storage, delivering irrigators their water that is lawfully theirs, and ensuring fresh water is not wasted are the priorities of rural California,” LaMalfa said in a news release. “This is especially critical in California agriculture, where severe water mismanagement has exacerbated the crippling drought. Responsible water management means higher food production and lower prices for all Americans, while keeping farmers in business. I’m looking forward to passing this bill and protecting our water rights.”
HR 289 would mandate 100% contract water deliveries to water districts by Reclamation in normal or above normal precipitation years and guarantees additional water in dry years; require in-person field briefings and outreach, in each county where a Central Valley Project (CVP) water contractor is located, after Reclamation’s initial allocation announcements and before the allocation announcement for April is made; and reduces or eliminates the operation and maintenance (O&M) payments required to be paid by CVP water contractors, based on reductions in water allocations.