Sacramento, California - Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife Chairman, Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) will issue a letter calling upon the California Water Commission to participate in an oversight hearing regarding the process of and status of Proposition 1, Water Bond, water storage local project funding.
“In light of recent concerns, this hearing aims to provide the Legislature and the public the opportunity for increased transparency, clarity as well as the ability to comment on the public benefit ratio reviews issued by the California Water Commission for local water storage project applicants,” stated Assemblymember Garcia. “We all have a shared interest in ensuring that these funds continue to be well and properly spent consistent with the terms of the bond that the voters approved.”
The committee has expressed its appreciation to Commission staff and the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) reviewer’s for their efforts to make themselves available for applicant questions and public listening sessions, and hope that this hearing will add an increased layer of public transparency and clarification on the project review metric process and implementation of these taxpayer dollars.
Projects vying for WSIP, Proposition 1 funds, must prove certain specific public benefits such as ecosystem improvements, water quality improvements, flood control, recreation and emergency response.
Water, Parks, and Wildlife Chairman, Eduardo Garcia, representative of rural agricultural district this is heavily dependent on a steady and reliable water supply, looks forward to receiving a reply from the California Water Commission to set a date for this important oversight hearing forthwith.
About the California Water Commission: The California Water Commission consists of nine members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. Seven members are chosen for their general expertise related to the control, storage, and beneficial use of water and two are chosen for their knowledge of the environment. The Commission provides a public forum for discussing water issues, advises the Department of Water Resources (DWR), and takes appropriate statutory actions to further the development of policies that support integrated and sustainable water resource management and a healthy environment.
For more information please visit: www.cwc.ca.gov
About Water Storage Investment Program: Proposition 1 dedicated $2.7 billion for investments in new water storage projects. The California Water Commission, through the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP), will fund the public benefits of these projects. In August 2017, 12 applicants submitted projects for the Commission's review pursuant to the WSIP regulations. The Commission is now evaluating the projects for their eligibility and the level of public benefits provided. By June 2018, the Commission will determine the maximum funding for which each water storage project is eligible, provided the completion of statutory requirements and pending final Commission award.
