Garamendi Secures Wins for Bay Area and Delta in House-passed Water Resources Development Act

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), who represents over 200 miles of the Sacramento River and the California Delta, released the following statement on the passage of the "Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022" in the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 350 to 80, The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate where it is expected to pass and be signed into law by President Biden in the coming weeks:

"The biennial Water Resources Development Act strengthens flood protection, water resources, precious ecosystems, and more in communities across California and the nation. This soon-to-become law will upgrade our water infrastructure, strengthen climate resiliency, and restore aquatic ecosystems across the Bay Area, California Delta, and Sacramento Valley," Garamendi said. "As a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I secured key provisions in the bill to support dredging the Mare Island Strait, prevent vessels running aground in the Carquinez Strait, build green water and wastewater treatment infrastructure in the Delta, enhance environmental restoration efforts at Lake Tahoe, and more. I expect President Biden to sign this bipartisan bill into law."

Garamendi secured the following provisions in the base text of the "Water Resources Development Act of 2022" (Division H of H.R.7776):

• Directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a feasibility study with the City of Vallejo to deepen the Mare Island Strait Channel, increasing federal investment to support the redevelopment of Mare Island and the shipyard.
  
• Authorizing $50 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to help build water infrastructure, such as upgraded wastewater treatment plants, stormwater and flood resiliency, and shoreline protection projects in Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Solano, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties.
  
• Enacting the "San Francisco Bay Restoration Act," sponsored by Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and cosponsored by Garamendi, providing $45 million in federal support for rehabilitating the San Franciso Bay, salt marshes, and wetlands.
  
• Requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to use more dredged materials to restore Bay Area wetlands in San Pablo, Grizzly, Honker and Suisun Bays, thereby reducing the volume of dredged material wasted via ocean dumping.
  
• Making the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta a new focus area for the Army Corps of Engineers' national efforts to combat invasive species.
  
• Expedite completion of the project for flood damage reduction and environmental restoration at Middle Creek in Lake County.
  
• Securing an additional $25 million in federal funding for restoration efforts across the Lake Tahoe Basin. The region is currently set to exhaust an original $25 million in authorized funds to support restoration efforts, and this additional funding will help fund future activities, such as restoration of the Upper Truckee River and Marsh.
  
• Reauthorizing the Army Corps of Engineers' National Levee Safety Initiative to help manage flood risk across the nation.