$14.6 million contract awarded for the Delta Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie project
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congressman Jim Costa today announced that the Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $14.6 million contract for construction of the Intertie project that will link the Delta Mendota Canal to the California Aqueduct. The project will deliver water to San Joaquin Valley farmers who are in the most need of assistance during the water supply crisis. The funds are made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and are expected to provide the required funding to complete the project.
“After
working to secure funding, I am pleased that the Intertie is one step closer to
delivering additional water to our Valley,” said Costa. “This project has
been stuck in a bureaucratic backlog for six years. Fighting through this delay
is a victory for our entire region.”
“Water
is the lynchpin of our local economy, from employment in rural farming
communities to jobs in urban areas,” added Costa. “The Intertie will bring
more water to farmers and will have a ripple effect throughout our economy. Our
efforts to bring more water to the Valley this year continue to produce results
and I look forward to breaking ground on this vital project.”
Today’s
announcement sets the stage for construction to begin on the Intertie. When
completed, the project will connect the Delta-Mendota Canal to the California
Aqueduct with a new pipeline and pumping station. The project with provide much
needed flexibility in managing the water system and allow water to move to
farmers who have been hardest hit by the crisis. According to the Bureau of
Reclamation, the Intertie is scheduled to be online to deliver water in fall of
2011.
Congressmen
Costa has long fought for the Intertie project and was successful last year in
passing legislation (click
here) to help fund and support it.
In
July 2009, Congressmen Costa introduced two legislative amendments to alleviate
the effects of the water supply crisis. One amendment cut through bureaucratic
red tape by making it easier for water to be
transferred from one county to another. The second amendment increased funding
for the California Bay-Delta Restoration Program, providing a $10 million down
payment on water projects including the Intertie.
Both amendments passed Congress in October as part of a conference report for the FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. Since then, Costa demanded (click here) that the Interior Department make the Intertie project a top priority.
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