Field Hearing Highlights California Water Issues and Solutions for Long-Term Change

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a field hearing in Santa Nella, Calif., to hear from local witnesses about the water management challenges facing California's Central Valley.

"California's Central Valley is one of the largest agriculture producing regions in the country, producing one-quarter of the food consumed in the United States. Despite this area's importance to our food supply, the region is currently facing politically induced water shortages. The Central Vally Water Delivery Project was built to protect farmers from shortages and floods but has been diverted from its primary purpose, and this diversion is endangering food supply. Today's hearing explored challenges created by ever increasing state and federal regulations as well as opportunities to improve access to water resources in California." - Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.)

"Our Central Valley is the backbone of our nation's food supply, yet unreliable water allocations and overreaching regulations continue to hurt our farmers. We can do better and we must do better. During the field hearing, we focused on finding common-sense solutions to ensure water abundance and a stable future for our Valley."- U.S. Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.)

Background

California's Central Valley is one of the largest agriculture producers in the United States, producing one-quarter of the food consumed in the nation, and is home to more than 300 different crops. A year after Central Valley communities experienced widespread flooding due to historic precipitation, those same communities began the 2024 water year with a paltry 15 percent water allocation for California's south-of-delta farmers. These "boom and bust" cycles of water management make it difficult for farmers to adequately manage their land.

The Central Valley Project was built to protect farmers from water shortages and floods. However, current management has moved away from the primary purpose of the system, mitigating impacts beyond the scope of the project's purposes rather than providing reliable water supplies across both wet and dry years.

Today's hearing allowed members to hear from local witnesses and stakeholders on the challenges facing the region and the future of California's water supply. Testimony focused on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the region's water infrastructure and current management practices, leading to unreliable water resources for the region year after year.

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