Federal task force to address California drought

WASHINGTON, D.C.
February 27, 2009 11:57am

A "Federal Drought Action Team" has been created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Interior Department to help address the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the current California drought.

The announcement follows last Friday's announcement by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation that, based on water forecasts, initial Water Year 2009 allocations for the Federal Central Valley Project will be significantly limited for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and environmental uses.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday proclaimed a state of emergency and ordered immediate action to manage the water crisis. In the proclamation, the governor uses his authority to direct all state government agencies to utilize their resources, implement a state emergency plan and provide assistance for people, communities and businesses impacted by the drought.

"Even with the recent rainfall, California faces it third consecutive year of drought and we must prepare for the worst -- a fourth, fifth or even sixth year of drought," says Mr. Schwarzenegger. "Last year we experienced the driest spring and summer on record and storage in the state's reservoir system is near historic lows.

"This drought is having a devastating impact on our people, our communities, our economy and our environment -- making today's action absolutely necessary. This is a crisis, just as severe as an earthquake or raging wildfire, and we must treat it with the same urgency by upgrading California's water infrastructure to ensure a clean and reliable water supply for our growing state."

(Click on the link below to listen to a portion of a Friday afternoon press conference on the drought situation by California Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura.)

"The drought situation in California is dire," says Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. "Farms, ranches, and communities across the Central Valley are withering on the vine and in need of any help that the federal government can provide."

The Federal Drought Action Team will include representatives appointed by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, along with representatives from other federal agencies. A similar federal drought action team was formulated in July, 2005, to coordinate drought relief in the Pacific Northwest.

In addition, says the department, Mr. Salazar is directing the Bureau of Reclamation to work closely with California authorities to facilitate water transfers for the Drought Water Bank that is operated by the state. He also is directing Reclamation to provide operational flexibility to convey and store water to facilitate additional transfers and exchanges that can move water to critical-need areas, and to expedite any related environmental review and compliance actions, says BOI.

Mr. Salazar is calling on Reclamation to explore ways in which funds recently appropriated to Reclamation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for water reuse projects, and other water projects, might be used to help stretch California's water supplies in the coming months.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says she welcomes the news about the federal drought team.

"This is very encouraging news," says Ms. Feinsten. "But we know that a short-term fix is only one piece of the puzzle. I feel very strongly that we must develop a concrete plan of action this year to address California's chronic water shortages and the fishery population collapse."

"Formation of this task force is a critical step in addressing this crisis, which will further devastate the economy in the Valley. I invite both Secretary Salazar and Secretary Vilsack to visit our area in the coming weeks to witness the devastation first hand," says U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced.

"I encourage Secretary Salazar and Secretary Vilsack to act swiftly to find short-term relief for the immediate crisis, but also evaluate long-term solutions for California�s water needs. I look forward to working with them on both of these goals," says U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.

Earlier in the month, Messrs. Cardoza and Costa wrote to Interior Secretary Salazar urging that the Department take action to address the drought in California by exercising "the maximum flexibility in the operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project in such a way as to maximize water allocations, obtain supplemental water supplies, and expedite water transfers."