California’s Congressional Water Ballot for 2012

by CalWatchdog Staff | November 5, 2012 10:20 am

Nov. 5, 2012

By Wayne Lusvardi

Tomorrow California voters will not be voting on the proposed California Water Bond, which has been postponed until 2014[1].  But voters will be voting on a number of local water projects such as the proposed Hetch Hetchy dam removal, which is Proposition F[2] in San Francisco.

More importantly, California voters will be deciding on three crucial congressional races that will have statewide influence on water policy and projects. The three incumbent members of Congress shown below are California’s “movers and shakers” in federal water policy for California.  Half of California’s water system — called the Central Valley Project — is owned and operated by the federal government.

Below is a summary of the positions of each of the candidates on water issues.  No endorsement of candidates is expressed or implied.

U.S. Senator at Large — California

Elizabeth Emken — Republican[3] 

(Challenger) Danville, California

 

 Dianne Feinstein — Democrat[4] San Francisco, California (incumbent)Chairwoman — Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development[5]
Unofficial Positions on Water Issues:

* Supports four new water storage projects for California: Sites Reservoir[6], Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion[7], Temperance Flat Reservoir[8], expansion of Shasta Reservoir[9];

* Supports modernization of federal Endangered Species Act to “better recover species, minimize conflict, reduce costs, and remedy other unintended consequences of the Act”;

* Favors recycling water instead of allowing flows of “several million acre feet of used water to the ocean[10]”;

* Favors exploration of “conjunctive use”[11] water storage programs;

* Favors desalination water projects;

* Supports “complete cost-benefit” analysis[12] of all water projects;

* See full water policy statement here[13].

 

 

 Unofficial Positions on Water Issues:

* Has no official positions on water issues on her website;* Advocates cleaning up perchlorate[14] in water supply;

* Restoring Lake Tahoe[15];

* Authored San Joaquin River Restoration Act (2009[16]) costing about $1.1 billion[17] for 11,000 temporary construction jobs, 475 future tourist-related jobs, and a loss of 3,000 permanent farm jobs by taking water from farmers.  Only about $88 million of project funds authorized by Congress for studies. Project stalled by lack of federal funding for remainder of project. Farmers to pay $7.6 million per year[18] for river restoration;

* Wrote lette[19]r requesting federal funding for 7 water projects and approval of 2 new water policies;

* Called for federal review of Cadiz groundwater harvesting project[20] in Mojave Desert.

Congressional District 4[21]  – Northeastern California

Tom McClintock – Republican[22] (incumbent) Elk Grove, California Chairman – House Subcommittee on Water and Power[23] Jack Uppal – Democrat[24] 

(challenger) Lincoln, California
Unofficial Positions on Water Issues:

* Opposed to Klamath River dam removals[25];

* Supports Auburn Dam and Lake Project[26] based in “beneficiary pays” principle;

* Supports repeal of the San Joaquin River Restoration Act[27] (Feinstein) with a “workable and vastly less expensive alternative” such as H.R. 1837 (Nunes) pending in U.S. Senate;

* Supports expansion of Federal hydropower projects[28];

* Opposes “man-made droughts[29]” in California’s Central Valley farms from unfounded environmental lawsuits to protect fish;

* Opposes expansion of Federal water regulation by “environmental giveaways.”[30]

 No online positions on water issues

Congressional District 21[31] – Central California

Devin Nunes[32] – Republican[33] (incumbent) Tulare, CaliforniaAuthor: H.R. 1837 – San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act[34] (pending in U.S. Senate). Otto Lee – Democrat[35] (challenger) Clovis, California
Unofficial Positions on Water Issues:

* Authored H.R. 1837 – San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act (2012)[36] to repeal H.R. 146 the San Joaquin River Restoration Act (Feinstein) currently being held on floor of U.S. Senate;

* Issued report titled “Distorted Water”[37] to correct distortions about H.R. 1837;

* Called for end to California’s “man-made drought”[38] from unfounded environmental lawsuits to protect fish;

* Opposed letting Delta water go to waste[39].

 

 Unofficial Positions on Water Issues:

* Supports bi-partisan solutions to Central Valley farm water crisis;

* Supports “economically feasible and environmentally responsible” fishery plan;

* If elected seeks assignment to House Agricultural Committees to pursue farm subsidies

* See full position statement here[40].

 

Endnotes:
  1. 2014: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.ht
  2. Proposition F: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/San_Francisco_Hetch_Hetchy_Reservoir_Initiative,_Proposition_F_(November_2012)
  3. Elizabeth Emken — Republican: http://www.emken2012.com/
  4. Dianne Feinstein — Democrat: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/
  5. Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Appropriations_Subcommittee_on_Energy_and_Water_Development
  6. Sites Reservoir: http://www.water.ca.gov/storage/docs/NODOS%20Project%20Docs/Sites_FAQ.pdf
  7. Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion: http://www.water.ca.gov/storage/losvaq/index.cfm
  8. Temperance Flat Reservoir: http://www.water.ca.gov/storage/docs/USJ%20Project%20Docs/Temperance_FAQ.pdf
  9. Shasta Reservoir: http://www.sacredland.org/PDFs/Shasta_Dam_Facts.pdf
  10. used water to the ocean: http://www.agalert.com/story/?id=1474
  11. “conjunctive use”: http://www.water-ed.org/watersources/subpage.asp?rid=&page=387
  12. “complete cost-benefit” analysis: http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/water_recycling/docs/econ_tskfrce/eagd.pdf
  13. here:
  14. perchlorate: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/theenvironment
  15. Restoring Lake Tahoe: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hot-topics
  16. San Joaquin River Restoration Act (2009: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2054bcbd-5056-8059-76de-f54c929defdd
  17. $1.1 billion: http://www.restoresjr.net/program_library/02-Program_Docs/20120619_SJRRP_Framework_for_ImplDRAFT.pdf
  18. $7.6 million per year: http://www.restoresjr.net/legislation/index.html
  19. lette: http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=f2ae7a34-d501-470f-a355-7a75ec468c04
  20. Cadiz groundwater harvesting project: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/16/local/la-me-water-cadiz-20120516
  21. Congressional District 4: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California's_4th_congressional_district
  22. Tom McClintock – Republican: http://mcclintock.house.gov/
  23. House Subcommittee on Water and Power: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Natural_Resources_Subcommittee_on_Water_and_Power
  24. Jack Uppal – Democrat: http://www.jackuppal.com/issues.html
  25. Klamath River dam removals: http://mcclintock.house.gov/2011/09/klamath-claptrap.shtml
  26. Auburn Dam and Lake Project: http://mcclintock.house.gov/2012/02/auburn-project-area-announcement.shtml
  27. repeal of the San Joaquin River Restoration Act: http://mcclintock.house.gov/2012/02/response-san-francisco-chronicle.shtml
  28. Federal hydropower projects: http://mcclintock.house.gov/2011/05/protecting-the-federal-hydropower-investment-a-stakeholders-perspective.shtml
  29. man-made droughts: http://mcclintock.house.gov/2011/04/water-and-power-subcommittee-field-hearing-overcoming-man-made-drought-time-for-congress
  30. “environmental giveaways.”: http://mcclintock.house.gov/2010/04/congressman-mcclintock---statement-on-the-expansion-of-government-regulation-over-us-water
  31. Congressional District 21: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_21st_congressional_district
  32. Devin Nunes: http://nunes.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=34800
  33. – Republican: http://nunes.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=34800
  34. H.R. 1837 – San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act: http://nunes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-112hr1837eh.pdf
  35. Otto Lee – Democrat: http://www.ottoforcongress.org/
  36. H.R. 1837 – San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act (2012): http://nunes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/legislative_summary_of_the_sacramento-san_joaquin_valley_water_reliability_act.pdf
  37. “Distorted Water”: http://nunes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/distorted_water_2012g.pdf
  38. “man-made drought”: http://nunes.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=283532
  39. Delta water go to waste: http://nunes.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=237952
  40. here: http://www.ottoforcongress.org/issues.php#water

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2012/11/05/californias-congressional-water-ballot-for-2012/

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