Garamendi Secures Wins for Bay Area and Delta in Water Resources Development Act

WASHINGTON, DC-Today, U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA08) voted to pass the "Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024" (S.4367) in the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 399 to 18.

"The Water Resources Development Act passed today continues our bipartisan tradition of meeting the water infrastructure needs of communities across California and the country. As a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I secured several provisions in this bill directing federal investment for Mare Island, restoring Bay Area wetlands, and improving our precious water supply for local communities in California's 8th Congressional District. This pivotal legislation will strengthen community resilience from the threats of climate change, improve California's water resource projects that safeguard human health, and enrich America's vital natural aquatic ecosystems for generations to come," said Garamendi.

Garamendi is a senior Democratic member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' civil works projects, including dredging, flood control, and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects.

"The legislation would not have been possible without the leadership of my longtime friend and incredible public servant, Ranking Member Grace Napolitano. Since 2014, Ranking Member Napolitano has led the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, helping protect our communities from droughts, restore our ecosystems, and invest in America's ports and harbors. Her presence on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee will be missed, but her commitment to protecting America's water supply will benefit countless communities for years to come," said Garamendi.

Garamendi secured the following provisions in the "Water Resources Development Act of 2024" (S.4367).

Bay Area Provisions:

• Mare Island Strait: Directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a feasibility study with the City of Vallejo to deepen the Mare Island Strait Channel to better support the U.S. Coast Guard Station Vallejo's missions. Deepening the channel is also part of Garamendi's ongoing work to support the redevelopment of Mare Island and the shipyard.
• San Francisco Bay: Authorizing the Army Corps of Engineers to complete a comprehensive study of sea level rise on the San Francisco Bay Area, including the impact of sea level rise on disadvantaged communities across Contra Costa and the eight other Bay Area counties. Congress first authorized the Army Corps to study sea level rise in the Bay Area in 1976 but failed to include Conta Costa County.
• East Bay Integrated Recycled Water Program: Authorizing an additional $20 million in federal funding for the East Bay Municipal Utility District's East Bayshore Recycled Water Project and comprehensive Integrated Recycled Water Program, helping to expand recycled water use through projects intended to increase climate and drought resilience, drinking water reliability, emergency preparedness, and environmental protection. Garamendi increased total available federal funding from the current $25 million to $45 million under the bill.
• Central Contra Costa County: With Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), authorizing $57 million in federal funding for water supply projects with the Army Corps of Engineers in central Contra Costa County by the Delta Diablo and Ironhouse Sanitary Districts.
• Bay Area Wetlands Restoration: Requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to use at least 70 percent of dredged materials to restore Bay Area wetlands in San Pablo, Grizzly, Honker and Suisun Bays, thereby reducing the volume of dredged material wasted via ocean dumping.

Regional Provisions:

• Sacramento River Restoration: Directing the Army Corps of Engineers to help restore the Sacramento River floodplain by incorporating natural and nature-based features in all Army Corps projects like setback levees north of the Freemont Weir.
• Keeping Tahoe Blue: Reauthorizing the Army Corps' pilot program to help keep invasive aquatic species out of alpine lakes like Lake Tahoe and securing an additional $20 million in federal funding for water infrastructure improvements across the Lake Tahoe Basin, including to reduce septic leeching and stormwater runoff to help Keep Tahoe Blue.

California Provisions:

• Removal of Abandoned and Derelict Vessels: Incorporates key provisions from Garamendi's "Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Act of 2024" (H.R.7719), expanding the Army Corps' existing vessel removal authority to also include those abandoned and derelict vessels not impeding navigation. Current law only allows the Army Corps to remove vessels blocking a federally maintained channel, not abandoned and derelict vessels on the shoreline.
• Drought Resiliency: Establishes that it is the policy of the Army Corps to maximize opportunities to utilize its water supply-related authorities and give full consideration of water supply projects, water conservation measures, and drought resiliency measures at, or in operating, water resource projects. This provision is inspired by Garamendi and Representative Grace F. Napolitano's (D-CA) bipartisan "Priority for Water Supply and Conservation Act of 2024" (H.R.7065).
• Recreational Boating at Reservoirs: Allows the Army Corps to keep marina and similar fees charged to boaters at Army Corps-owned reservoirs to fund infrastructure improvements at those federally owned reservoirs in California and other states. Current law requires that all fees charged to boaters at Army Corps reservoirs be sent to the U.S. Treasury as miscellaneous revenue to the federal government. Incorporates key provisions from Garamendi and Rep. Bruce Westerman's (R-AR) bipartisan "Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong (LAKES) Act" (H.R.6906).
• Dam Safety: Reauthorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Dam Safety Program through 2028, which provides federal funding for training, staffing needs, emergency planning, and dam inspection and monitoring activities by the State of California's Department of Water Resources' Division of Safety of Dams. Incorporates key provisions from Garamendi and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla's (D-CA) "National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act of 2023" (S.3111).
• Levee Safety: Reauthorizing the Army Corps of Engineers' National Levee Safety Initiative to help reduce flood risk by modernizing Army Corps levees across the country through 2030.

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