Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Cuts Bay-Delta Funding

On July 8, the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee reported out its FY98 Appropriations bill with only $50 million in funding for the San Francisco-Bay Delta restoration project. Under authorizing legislation passed last year, Congress authorized $429 million in federal funding for the project, to be paid out at $143 million per year for three years. The federal money would be matched by a nearly $1 billion bond issue passed by California voters last year.

The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a cooperative effort involving representatives of Federal and state agencies, and agricultural, urban, and environmental interests. The coalition has been working together to develop a long-term plan to restore the ecological health of the Bay-Delta estuary while improving the management of water for beneficial uses. The estuary is the largest on the West Coast and provides drinking water for more than 20 million people, is home to 53 distinct species of fish and migratory birds, and provides irrigation water for 200 crops, including 45 percent of the nation's produce.

Sen. Pete Domenici (NM), chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, stated during the markup that although the Bay-Delta program is significant, more information was needed on how the money would be spent before full funding could be provided.

The Administration, through the Office of Management and Budget, immediately sent a letter to the full Committee objecting to various provisions contained in the bill, including the cut in Bay-Delta funding. Stating that the program is "central to resolving the water conflicts that have plagued the State

for over thirty years," OMB urged the Committee to include the full $143 million funding. Nevertheless, the full Senate Appropriations Committee reported the bill out on Thursday without increasing funding.

The House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to mark up its appropriations on Friday, July 11, and the Bay-Delta funding is expected to be significantly higher than the Senate level.

Volume 4, Bulletin 24, July 10, 1997