Legislation and Bond Package Offers Comprehensive Plan to Modernize California’s Water System
California has a chance to seize control of its water destiny.
Thanks to Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership over the past three years and leadership of legislators from both sides of the aisle representing our entire state, we have achieved a 2009 legislative package that can modernize our aging water system and make wiser use of California’s precious water resources. Water supply reliability will be improved, but so, too, will our stewardship of the environment and governance of the Delta, a vital water source for two-thirds of California.
The water plan now before us is the most comprehensive in decades. The new plan is comprised of four vital water policy bills recently passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, and an $11.14 billion water bond, timed for voter approval in 2010. As a package, it can help meet our water needs deep into the 21st century, keeping our economy vibrant and our people, farms, fish and habitat provided with the lifeline of water they all require.
The four-bill legislative package establishes a Delta Stewardship Council, sets ambitious water conservation policy, ensures better groundwater monitoring, and provides funds for increased enforcement actions to thwart illegal water diversions.