Removal of Controversial
California Project Paves Way
for WRDA Approval
in House
Oberstar disappointed over
Sacramento flood control
WASHINGTON—The House today approved and sent to the Senate a massive water policy bill that will authorize federal water projects throughout the country. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) was passed on a vote of 418-5, after a controversial project that threatened to stop the bill was removed.
"This bill follows the well established tradition of authorizing a variety of projects to address water resources problems such as flood control, navigation, environmental restoration and shore protection. It also establishes a new program to address flood control and environmental protection comprehensively," said Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Ranking Democratic Member on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Passage of the bill became likely when the Rules Committee proposed a self-executing amendment as part of the rule under which the bill would be considered. Once approved by the House, the rule automatically eliminated funding for a controversial water diversion project in the American River watershed in northern California. Oberstar and others feared the project would affect the allocation of water rights in California, despite language in the bill to prevent that effect. In a letter to the committee last week, Governor Gray Davis wrote that the American River project would seriously harm the water allocation process in his state.
The project had been tied to efforts to improve flood protection for Sacramento, Calif. Oberstar expressed disappointment that the final version of the bill, while providing some increased protection, would still leave the California capital vulnerable to severe flooding. In committee, Oberstar had proposed an amendment to make modifications to the Folsom Dam upstream from Sacramento and improve the levees protecting the city to provide a level of protection based on the highest flood level that might occur once in 200 years. The WRDA bill as approved by the House only provides 117 years of flood protection.
"Sacramento is the capital city of the sixth largest economy in the world," Oberstar said. "The city deserves the same 200-500-year level of floor protection we have provided to other major cities, such as San Diego, Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis and Omaha."
Oberstar pledged to continue his efforts to obtain 200-year flood protection for Sacramento.
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