Villines on water crisis
I have been working to increase California’s water supply and delivery system since being elected to office. As California’s population has grown, our water infrastructure has become inadequate, yet the state has failed to build more water storage or strengthen crumbling levees. Very little surface storage has been built since the 1960’s despite very large increases in population and large increases in agricultural products that are sold nationwide and internationally.
If we fail to take responsible steps to build more water storage, we could see strict and severe mandatory water rationing across the state. In 2007, I authored the Governor’s water infrastructure proposal with Senator Dave Cogdill. That proposal was a $9 billion water infrastructure plan that would build more water storage and conveyance while protecting natural resources.
Our proposal contained $5.6 billion for water storage, including $5.1 billion for 3 reservoir storage projects, including Temperance Flat, and $500 million for new groundwater storage. It also dedicated $1 billion for water reliability, $1.9 billion for Delta restoration and $500 million for resource stewardship. The proposal also included million of dollars for improved water quality and drinking water systems.
Unfortunately, Democrats rejected this much needed plan. Instead, they pushed their own plan that did not include any money for water storage projects.
I will continue to work with Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Cogdill and my Democrat colleagues to build the water storage our state so desperately needs. We must build more above ground water storage in a way that is fiscally responsible and utilizes public-private partnerships to keep state costs down. Working together, I am confident we can build more water infrastructure.