SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature Wednesday approved $90.2 million to protect the Delta and fortify its aging levees, along with up to $68 million to safeguard the State Water Project’s California Aqueduct and canals.
The funding for the levees — which are being undermined by the over-drafting of groundwater — was secured by the California Legislative Delta Caucus.
“Today’s vote was truly historic. California’s water wars may finally be over,” said State Sen. Jerry McNerney, who serves as co-chair of the caucus.
“Today we joined together, North and South, environmental groups and State Water Contractors, to support vital projects that will protect California’s water and the Delta, while also benefitting the entire state.”
“But we’re not done. This historic investment is just a downpayment. In the years to come, we need to continue to protect California’s primary supply of freshwater.”
The budget funding allocation was supported by the environmental group Restore the Delta and State Water Contractors, which receive water from the State Water Project (SWP).
Together, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the SWP make up California’s primary water system, providing freshwater supplies to 27 million people, businesses, and farms in the Central Valley, the Bay Area, and Southern California. The Delta also supports a vibrantly diverse ecosystem of plants and animals.
The funding will come from Proposition 4, the $10 billion bond measure approved by California voters in 2024. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the budget bill in the days ahead.
Of the $90.2 million for the Delta, $75 million will be for projects that repair levees and improve flood protection and climate resiliency.
In addition, the budget allocates $15.2 million to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy to reduce the risks of climate change impacts on communities, fish and wildlife, and natural resources.
Many of the Delta’s critical levees date to the 1800s and are at risk of breaching because they no longer meet the US Army Corp of Engineers safety standards. Making the necessary levee improvements will cost, in total, about $3.24 billion.
The vote also included up to $68 million to repair SWP’s California Aqueduct and canals, which are being impacted by sinking land. Over-pumping of groundwater has led to significant land subsidence along the California Aqueduct, which delivers water from the Delta to much of the state.
If not repaired, subsidence threatens to reduce the water carrying capacity of the SWP by 87% by 2040. Subsidence repairs to the SWP are estimated to cost about $3 billion over 20 years.
The legislature also approval was $5 million to acquire Jersey Island in the Delta and repair its levees.
The island sits in a particularly important spot in the western Delta, where a levee failure could threaten the water quality and water access that millions of Californians depend on.
By acquiring this island, the state can ease the pressure on its levees, guard against saltwater rushing in, and open the door to restoring critical wetlands.
In addition, earlier this year, the budget included $6 million to address the invasive golden mussel infestation in the Delta. The request was also a Delta Caucus priority, championed by Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Stockton.
