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Interior Department WaterSMART Investments in Solano and Delta Communities Good News for Region, Garamendi SaysInterior Department WaterSMART Investments in Solano and Delta Communities Good News for Region, Garamendi Says

July 20, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek, CA), who negotiated western water policy as President Clinton’s Deputy Interior Secretary, today praised President Barack Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar for allocating more than $300,000 to two regional water projects as part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program.

A total of $1.8 million of the funds will be used to collaboratively study seven basins and identify adaptation strategies in the western United States where imbalances between water supply and demand exist or are projected. The remaining $900,000 will be shared by eight water delivery systems to study ways to improve water efficiency and operations.

"As a resident of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for more than three decades, I want to thank President Obama and Secretary Salazar for understanding the importance of a comprehensive water policy that meets the water needs of farmers, fishermen, cities, and threatened natural habitats. This research in Solano and at the Delta will go a long way toward charting an informed path forward grounded in current use patterns and science," Congressman Garamendi said. "The WaterSMART Program promotes precisely the types of cost-effective forward-thinking infrastructure and research investments we require to meet the needs of everyone who needs safe and reliable water – which is all of us."

Congressman Garamendi has long been an advocate for a comprehensive approach to water policy, including conservation, water reclamation, efficiency improvements, and below-ground storage.

Two of the projects funded by WaterSMART help Solano County and the Delta community:

  • System Optimization Review,Solano Irrigation District, Solano Irrigation District's Water Delivery Planning Study: Optimization of Conveyance and Level of Service
    Reclamation Funding: $158,500 Total Project Cost: $318,500
    The Solano Irrigation District will conduct a System Optimization Review as part of an effort to maximize efficient use of the district’s average annual supply to help protect depleted groundwater supplies in the area. The district will review historical water supply and demand information, currently available supplies, and the existing capacity of the surface water delivery system to better understand water management issues and the potential for improvements. The district will also compare water conservation delivery improvements based on their cost effectiveness.
  • Basin Plan of Study,Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers, California
    Reclamation Funding: $150,000 Total Funding: $300,000
    The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers are located in California's Central Valley. These two basins are physically and operationally connected within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Water supplies from these two basins serve approximately 25 million people in the Central Valley and Southern California, as well as 7 million acres of irrigated agriculture. These basins experience wide fluctuations in water supply and currently experience shortfalls even in average years.

Salazar established the WaterSMART program in February, 2010 – the SMART in WaterSMART stands for "Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow" – in cooperation with Deputy Secretary David L. Hayes, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Anne Castle, and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor. Since then, more than $77 million has been provided through the program to non-federal partners, including tribes, water districts and universities.

Today’s announcements include four full basin studies: Hood River in Oregon; Klamath River in California and Oregon; Lower Rio Grande River in Texas; and the Santa Fe, Upper Rio Grande and San Juan rivers in New Mexico.

The basin studies will incorporate the latest science, including engineering technology, climate models and innovation. The projects will be cost-shared with the non-federal partners and will include basin-specific plans that recommend collaborative solutions to help meet water demands and foster sustainable development.

In addition to these four full basin studies, three other watersheds were selected to complete plans of study with Reclamation – the Los Angeles Watershed in California, Republican River in Kansas and Nebraska, and Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers in California. These plans will define the outcomes and set the scope and focus for future basin study application opportunities.

The recommended improvements may be eligible in the future for Reclamation’s water and energy efficiency grant funding through WaterSMART. These grants fund on-the-ground improvements that improve water management, increase energy efficiency in the delivery of water, and other activities to prevent water-related crisis and conflict.