The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is the comprehensive water resources law typically authorized every two years.  Specifically, WRDA authorizes studies and projects within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission areas including navigation, flood damage reduction, hurricane and storm damage reduction, shoreline protection, and environmental restoration.

I submitted a request to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asking that WRDA 2010 include provisions to make needed changes to the authorization for the Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project.

The Llagas Creek project will provide protection for over 1,100 homes, 500 businesses, and 1,300 acres of agricultural land in southern Santa Clara County, protect and improve water quality in the watershed, and preserve and enhance habitat, fish and wildlife.  It was initiated by the Natural Resource Conservation Service in 1954, but due to declining NRCS funding, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the project in the Water Resources Development Act of 1999.  The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 included language requested by me and my south Santa Clara County colleagues to account for increasing costs of the project and providing clear direction to the Corps to complete the project.

Unfortunately, the final version of WRDA 2007 included a special rule which will delay the project, denying much needed flood protection to the local community, which has experienced flooding in each of the last two years.  I have requested that language be included in WRDA 2010 that will remove this restriction (Section 3022 (b) of WRDA 2007).  In addition, I also asked that language be included to credit the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the City of Morgan Hill for funds they have spent to assist the Corps in keeping the project on schedule.