Last week, the Friant Water Authority along with State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D) visited Terra Bella, California and presented a $100 million check for the purpose of funding repairs of California’s canal systems that have been subject to extreme drought and subsidence. Various agricultural organizations, water districts, Porterville, Lindsay, and Tulare County representatives, and CCM’s Director of State Governmental Affairs Jacob Villagomez and CCM Board Member Matt Leider joined to celebrate this major allocation granted through the 2021-22 State Budget process.
This comes after various pushes in Sacramento by those in the Central Valley legislative caucus and by Senator Hurtado, who previously authored legislation that would have the State invest in its major water conveyance systems. Although SB 559, the State Water Resiliency Act saw major challenges, Senator Hurtado saw opportunities in the budget surpluses to bring these projects to fruition.
While there is much to do on improving our infrastructure, these investments are key to the continuity of our industry but more so to the state’s drought action plan and future water outlook at large. CCM is encouraged by these efforts and was proud to be an early supporter of Senator Hurtado’s water legislation and to the budget advocacy that followed. For more information regarding the check presentation, click here.
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