California hangs hopes on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

New surface and groundwater storage can help provide greater water supply reliability, allowing farmers to make long-term investments in their farming operations. Water supply reliability will help return stability to groundwater levels under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, job stability for San Joaquin Valley residents, and food security for the nation, said Mike Wade, executive director at the California Farm Water Coalition.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in January 2021, will provide funding to bring relief to California’s water woes.

In January, California Rep. Jim Costa advanced California water infrastructure priorities as funding from the IIJA begins to roll out in 2022, according to a news release.

“California surface storage is almost 50 million acre-feet. It is also important to note that groundwater storage far exceeds surface storage capacity, and money from the IIJA is intended to support groundwater storage projects, as well,” Wade said.

According to the release, IIJA will provide the following funding: 

• $1.15 billion to improve water storage in California and the San Joaquin Valley, which could benefit B.F. Sisk Dam, Sites Reservoir, Los Vaqueros Reservoir and Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir expansions;
• $3.2 billion to repair aging water infrastructure projects in California;
• $500 million to repair aging dams and ensure safety for projects such as B.F. Sisk Dam/San Luis Reservoir;
• $400 million for WaterSMART program grants for California water districts and farmers; and
• Funding to address drought, which includes $1 billion to revitalize water recycling projects that can expand water supplies.

“The Sites Reservoir project, North of Sacramento in the city of Colusa, is a strong contender for the next significant surface storage project,” Wade said. “With a projected capacity of about 1.5 million acre-feet, it provides multiple benefits, including dry-year water supply, environmental water during dry years for fish and migratory birds, groundwater recharge, flood management and improved water quality and recreation.” 

Costa agrees that the Sites Reservoir project should be a high priority, along with several others.

Costa is advocating for the following priorities, according to the release: 

• Building major storage projects in California, such as B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and San Luis Reservoir Expansion, Sites Reservoir Project, Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion, Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project, Pacheco Reservoir Expansion and Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project, which enjoy broad regional support and have multiple benefits; 
• Completing seismic retrofits at B.F. Sisk Dam in conjunction with expansion of San Luis Reservoir to create cost efficiency;  
• Restoring the carrying capacity of canals in the San Joaquin Valley, including the Delta-Mendota Canal, Friant-Kern Canal and the California Aqueduct; 
• Projects that help ease the transition to compliance with SGMA;  
• Multibenefit projects in key regions, particularly groundwater recharge projects that will have positive impacts on groundwater sustainability while providing other benefits such as water supplies for disadvantaged communities or seasonal wetlands for waterfowl and other species;  
• Expediting the delivery of aging infrastructure funding, particularly for major rehabilitation and replacement activities located in the San Joaquin Valley that are listed in the Bureau of Reclamation’s April 2021 Asset Management Report; and
• Recycling projects with the potential to increase the availability of Central Valley Project and State Water Project supplies for water transfers to other regions and to reduce sole source reliance on the Delta.  

“It is likely about $1.66 billion will be available this year. The full allocation is intended to be spent over five years,” Wade said. “It is difficult to say at this point which projects will receive funding because money will be disbursed through a competitive application process that is yet to be finalized.”

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