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TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: WATER COMMITTEE
DATE: JUNE 30, 1986
SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR HR 4905 -- SAN LUIS UNIT, CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT
Specific eques s or Recommendation(s) & Bac grow us i ica ion
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. SUPPORT in concept HR 4905 (May 22, 1986) introduced by Congressman George Miller which
re-authorizes the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project, pending further amendments.
2. AUTHORIZE Water Committee to testify expressing the Board's support for HR 4905 before
a Congressional Committee tentatively scheduled for late July or early August in Sacramento.
FINANCIAL IMPACT -- None
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND
HR 4905 re-authorizes the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project. The bill includes
the following items:
1. Expands the San Luis Unit's service area from 500,000 acres to 650,000 acres, but
prohibits further expansion without an act of Congress.
2. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to assess a fee on water used to grow surplus
crops.
3. Prohibits further construction of the San Luis Drain beyond Kesterson Reservoir.
4. Authorizes $100 million through fiscal year 1990 for construction of distribution
systems and drains if a new repayment contract is signed by the entities within the Unit
and the Westlands Water District agrees to repay $31 million appropriated in 1977. The
requirements of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 would be imposed on Westlands.
5. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to pay 65 percent of the cost of irrigation
districts developing agricultural wastewater management plans.
Continued on attachment: X yes Signature:
Recommendation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee
Approve Other:
Signature(s): /4p/ / S
Supervisor Sunne Wright McPeak Supervisor Tam Tor akson Alternate
Action of Board on: G Approved as Recommended I--- Other_
Vote of Supervisors I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
Unanimous (Absent JJ7-- ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN.
Absent: Abstain:
wc.bo.hr4905.t7 Attested u g
Orig. Div.: Community Development PHM B CH LOR, CLERK
cc: County Administrator OF LT14E BOARD AND COUNTY
Congressman George Mil ler ,u-- e DA ADMINISTRATOR
By ,
r
SUPPORT FOR HR 4905 -- SAN LUIS UNIT, CENTRAL VALLEY PROJECT
JUNE 30, 1986
Page 2
6. Requires the Secretary of the Interior within 180 days to issue guidelines which would
assure that any agricultural wastewater discharge by an irrigation district receiving
Central Valley Project water will not pose a threat to public health, safety, or the
environment.
7. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish a "California Water Exchange".
Water can be sold to the highest bidder for up to 20 years. Reclamation law must follow
with the water and irrigation districts pay full operations and maintenance and a share of
the capital costs. Local districts can keep 75 percent of the net proceeds from the sale
of the water if it is used to resolve drainage problems, or 25 percent of the net proceeds
if used for some other purpose. Funds received by the Department of the Interior from
these sales must be used to pay operations and maintenance and capital costs attributable
to the water sold. Remaining funds are divided to repay the cost of the San Luis Drain, a
land retirement program, ground water research, California wetlands and sport fishing
restoration, and Central Valley Project capital costs.
8. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to undertake Central Valley-wide drainage
research programs with the State of California. Authorizes $30 million for fiscal year
1987 through 1989 for the Valley-wide research program.
9. Authorizes $30 million through the end of fiscal year 1989 to clean up Kesterson
Reservoir according to requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board.
10. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to purchase Central Valley Project farmland
at fair market value if lands which permanently retired would improve the quality of the
district's agricultural wastewater, or if lands are no longer suitable for sustained
production because of contamination.
11. Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to purchase 400,000 acres adjacent to Kesterson
Reservoir for ground water research and management.
This bill is consistent with County's policies concerning the San Luis Drain, water pricing
reform, and agricultural drainage management. The bill deserves support by the County,
with further review of any amendments.
DBOcl
wc.bo.hr4905.t7