Rep. Napolitano Reflects on One-Year Anniversary of WRRDA, Urges Adoption of Reforms to Address Drought

(Washington, DC) Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte), Ranking Member on the House Transportation Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, reflected on the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA) and urged adoption of reforms to address the ongoing drought in the West.

“The Corps has been a little slow to implement the reforms contained in WRRDA 2014 – implementation guidance has been issued for only 40% of the provisions. I would have hoped that the Corps swiftly embraced the reforms of WRRDA 2014 but I worry that declining budgets have limited your ability to complete this work.

“I would like to thank the Corps for the great degree of flexibility and responsiveness it has shown in Southern California as we respond to the historic continuing drought. The deviation at the Whittier Narrows Dam will eventually increase the amount of water captured and conserved for groundwater recharge in the area and is indicative of the types of solution-oriented flexibility we need to deal with drought conditions, especially with regard to the acceptance of non-federal funds to help on important projects. With no end in sight for the drought, I expect that there will be many more opportunities in the future to all work together on not only Californian water conservation efforts, but all Western states.

“I am concerned that the Corps has not issued any guidance for section 1046 of WRRDA 2014, a section intended to assess the management practices of Corps’ reservoirs in arid regions of the country and their impacts to water supply during period of droughts. The findings of this assessment and your recommendations could be part of the solution to the drought.”

Napolitano and fellow Subcommittee members heard directly from Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army—Civil Works; and Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the status of WRRDA implementation. Napolitano called for increased communication between the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and the Corps to better address drought and urgent water needs of all Americans, stating,

“We must continue to expand the dialogue between the Corps and our Subcommittee, so we can move towards achieving a common goal of meeting our nation’s water resource needs in an expedient manner that protects public safety, allows for economic activity, and ensures the protection and improvement of the environment.”

Napolitano’s full opening statement from today’s hearing can be viewed here.

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