Bill > HR9084

This bill, the WATER for California Act, aims to provide long-term water supply and regulatory reliability to drought-stricken California. The key provisions of the bill are: 1. It directs the operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project (SWP) in accordance with the Preferred Alternative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Biological Opinions, with the goal of maximizing water supply to contractors. 2. It allocates water to existing CVP agricultural water service contractors within the Sacramento River Watershed based on water year type, with higher allocations in wet and above-normal years. 3. It amends the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act to provide funding and authority for the Shasta Reservoir enlargement project and other infrastructure projects to increase water storage and supply. 4. It requires the completion of the refuge water supply program under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) within two years and deems the CVPIA's fish, wildlife, and habitat mitigation and restoration actions complete upon completion of the refuge water supply program or by September 30, 2025, whichever occurs first. Overall, the bill aims to provide more reliable and abundant water supplies to California's agricultural, municipal, and industrial users, while also addressing environmental and refuge water needs.