06/12/2008 GAAS:331:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Governor Schwarzenegger Proclaims State of Emergency for Central Valley Region and Takes Action to Address Urgent Water Needs
Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a state of emergency in the following
nine Central Valley counties due to severe water shortages: Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern. When the Governor issued his
Executive Order last week
declaring a statewide drought, he directed his state agencies and departments to
take immediate action to address the serious drought conditions and water
delivery reductions that exist in California, and today's announcement builds on
those actions.
"Just last week, I said we would
announce regional emergencies wherever the state's drought situation warrants
them, and in the Central Valley, an emergency
proclamation is necessary to protect our economy and way of life," Governor
Schwarzenegger said. "Central Valley
agriculture is a $20 billion a year industry. If we don't get them water
immediately the results will be devastating. Food prices, which are already
stretching many family budgets, will continue to climb and workers will lose
their jobs-everyone's livelihood will be impacted in some way."
The Governor's emergency
proclamation today is based in part on an assessment of the full
impact that additional, unexpected cuts recently made by federal water
officials to San
Joaquin Valley farmers have had in the middle of
the growing season. As a result, the Governor's proclamation directs the
Department of Water Resources to work with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to
deliver more water now through the State Water Project when it's needed most. It
also orders his Department of Water Resources to transfer groundwater through
the California Aqueduct to benefit farmers in the affected counties and the
State Water Resources Control Board to review water transfers as quickly as
possible.
"We would not be talking about
any of this if over the last 40 years California had invested in our water
infrastructure. Today we are taking aggressive action to address an immediate
crisis, but a comprehensive solution is the only answer to addressing our
drought situation in the long term," Governor Schwarzenegger said.
Beginning with the first Strategic Growth Plan in 2006, the
Governor called for a comprehensive plan to address California's urgent water
needs. The Governor renewed that call in his 2008-09 budget by proposing an
$11.9 billion water bond for water management investments that will address
population growth, climate change, water supply reliability and environmental
needs. Specifically, the bond includes:
- Water Storage: $3.5 billion dedicated to the development of additional storage.
- Delta Sustainability: $2.4 billion to help implement a sustainable resource management plan for the Delta.
- Water Resources Stewardship: $1.1 billion to implement river restoration projects.
- Water Conservation: $3.1 billion to increase water use efficiency.
- Water Quality Improvement: $1.1 billion for efforts to reduce the contamination of groundwater.
- Other Critical Water Projects: $700 million for water recycling, hillside restoration for areas devastated by fire and removal of fish barriers on key rivers and streams.
The Governor is committed to gaining consensus on a bipartisan legislative solution for California's future.
- In February, Governor Schwarzenegger sent a letter to Senators Perata, Steinberg, and Machado clarifying the administrative actions under consideration as part of a comprehensive solution in the Delta.
- Also in February, the Governor hosted a meeting with Senator Feinstein, legislative leaders and key stakeholders to discuss rebuilding California's water infrastructure.
- In December 2007, the Governor applauded the work of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force and committed to continuing to work with legislative leaders on a comprehensive water solution.
- In September 2007, the Governor introduced a comprehensive water infrastructure proposal during the legislative special session, building off of the plan he introduced in January 2007 as part of the 2007-08 budget.
- In July 2007, the Governor directed DWR to take immediate action to improve conditions in the Delta, to help restore its natural habitat and protect the Delta smelt and other species.
The full text of the Governor's proclamation is below:
A
PROCLAMATION
OF A
STATE OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS on June
4, 2008, I issued an Executive Order proclaiming a statewide drought;
and
WHEREAS in my June 4 Executive Order, I
called on all Californians to conserve water, and I directed state agencies and
departments to take immediate action to address the serious drought conditions
and water delivery reductions that exist in California; and
WHEREAS in issuing my June 4 Executive
Order, I said that I would proclaim a state of emergency in any county where
emergency conditions exist due to the drought, in an effort to protect the
people and property of California, including the businesses, workers and
communities that depend on water deliveries for their livelihood and survival;
and
WHEREAS since
issuing my June 4 Executive Order, I have determined that emergency conditions
exist in Central Valley counties caused by the continuing drought conditions in
California and the reductions in water deliveries; and
WHEREAS statewide rainfall has been
below normal in 2007 and 2008, with many Southern California communities
receiving only 20 percent of normal rainfall in 2007, and Northern California
this year experiencing the driest spring on record with most communities
receiving less than 20 percent of normal rainfall from March through May; and
WHEREAS California is experiencing
critically dry water conditions in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins
and the statewide runoff forecast for 2008 is estimated to be 41 percent below
average; and
WHEREAS water
storage in many of the reservoirs serving the Central Valley are far below
normal including San Luis reservoir which is at 53 percent of capacity, Lake
Shasta at 61 percent of capacity and Lake Oroville at just 50 percent of
capacity; and
WHEREAS diversions from the
Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta for the State Water Project (SWP) and federal
Central Valley Project (CVP) are being greatly restricted due to various factors
including federal court actions to protect fish species, resulting in estimated
SWP deliveries of only 35 percent, and CVP deliveries of only 40 percent, of
local agencies' requested amounts for 2008; and
WHEREAS the
United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) recently announced an unexpected
reduction in its water supply allocations to Central Valley Project (CVP)
contractors within the San Luis Delta Mendota Water Agency Service Area from 45
percent to 40 percent; and
WHEREAS this
unanticipated reduction will result in crop loss, increased unemployment and
other direct and indirect economic impacts to Central
Valley counties; and
WHEREAS water
rationing has been ordered by the City of Long Beach, the City of Roseville, and
the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which serves 1.3 million people in
Alameda and Contra Costa counties; and
WHEREAS on June 10, 2008, the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water for 26
cities and water agencies serving 18 million people in six southern California
counties, declared a water supply alert in an effort to sustain their water
reserves; and
WHEREAS some communities are also
restricting new residential and commercial development because of unreliable or
uncertain water supplies, and this is causing harm to the economy;
and
WHEREAS dry conditions have created a
situation of extreme fire danger in California, and these conditions resulted in
devastating fires last year, with wildfires causing millions of dollars in
damages; and
WHEREAS San
Joaquin Valley
agriculture constitutes a $20 billion industry, and serves as an essential part
of California's economy;
and
WHEREAS the lack of water will cause
devastating harm to the communities that rely on this important industry, as
growers lack sufficient water to finish the growing season, are forced to
abandon planted crops, and are forced to dismiss workers;
and
WHEREAS the lack of water is causing
agricultural workers in the Central Valley to lose their jobs, resulting in a
loss of livelihood, an inability to provide for their families, and increased
negative social and economic impacts on the communities that depend on them;
and
WHEREAS San Joaquin Valley agricultural
production and processing industries account for almost 40 percent of regional
employment, and every dollar produced on the farm generates more than three
dollars in the local and regional economies, and the loss of these dollars is
devastating communities; and
WHEREAS almost 20 percent of San
Joaquin Valley residents already live in poverty, and it consistently ranks as
the top region in the nation in foreclosures; and
WHEREAS as workers lose their jobs
because of the lack of water, they often move their families away from the
communities, resulting in further harm to local economies, lower enrollments in
local schools and reduced funding for schools; and
WHEREAS the
city of Fresno
received only 54 percent of normal rainfall in 2007 and 76 percent of normal in
2008, and had its fourth driest spring on record; and
WHEREAS on June
11, 2008, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring a
local state of emergency due to the severe drought conditions, stating among
other things that the lack of water has resulted in water rationing by Fresno
County water districts; that these reductions are causing abandonment of current
planted seasonal crops and permanent crops; that the cumulative crop reductions
will result in job losses in Fresno County communities; that the loss of revenue
has negatively impacted Fresno County businesses and Fresno County government
tax revenue; and that there will be a substantial negative economic impact to
the community; and
WHEREAS the
Fresno County Board of Supervisors also requested that I declare a state of
emergency due to the drought conditions; and
WHEREAS the
Central Valley cities of Bakersfield, Modesto, Stockton, and Sacramento
experienced their driest spring on record in 2008, and additional Central Valley
counties are experiencing similar emergency conditions caused by drought and
lack of water deliveries; and
WHEREAS to date,
almost $65 million in losses have been reported by 19 counties due to reduced
rangeland grasses that are used to graze livestock, and those reductions have
been caused by drought; and
WHEREAS statewide and local conditions collectively have led to the rationing of water
by affected water districts to their member farmers and these further reductions
are resulting in abandonment of current planted seasonal crops and permanent
crops; and
WHEREAS the
crop losses will cause increased food prices, which will negatively impact
families and economies throughout California and beyond our borders;
and
WHEREAS the lack of water deliveries
has forced local communities to draw water from their emergency water reserves,
putting communities at risk of further catastrophe if emergency reserves are
depleted or cut off; and
WHEREAS the
circumstances of the severe drought conditions, by reason of their magnitude,
are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of
any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a
mutual aid region or regions to combat; and
WHEREAS under
the provisions of section 8558(b) of the California Government Code, I find that
conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist within
the counties of Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno,
Kings, Tulare and Kern, caused by the current and continuing severe drought
conditions.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD
SCHWARZENEGGER,
Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in
me by the California Constitution and the California Emergency Services Act, and
in particular, section 8625 of the California Government Code, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to
exist within the counties of Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced,
Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that
all agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel,
equipment and facilities for the performance of any and all activities
consistent with the direction of my Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the
State Emergency Plan, and that OES provide local government assistance under the
authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act, and that the emergency
exemptions in sections 21080(b)(3) and 21172 of the Public Resources Code shall
apply to all activities and projects ordered and directed under this
proclamation, to the fullest extent allowed by law.
I FURTHER DIRECT
THAT:
- OES shall provide assistance under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act, by assisting public water agencies with drilling of groundwater wells or the improvement of existing wells and water delivery systems for human consumption, sanitation, and emergency protective measures, such as fire fighting.
- The Department of Water Resources (DWR) shall transfer groundwater of appropriate quality through the use of the California Aqueduct to benefit farmers in the San Joaquin Valley
- DWR and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) shall expedite the processing of water transfer requests.
- DWR, in cooperation with USBR, shall make operational changes to State Water Project facilities, including the San Luis Reservoir and Southern California reservoirs, that will permit additional water deliveries to the San Joaquin Valley.
- DWR shall prepare and file necessary water right urgency change petitions to facilitate surface water transfers and the use of joint point of diversion by the SWP and Central Valley Project.
- SWRCB shall expedite the processing and consideration of water rights urgency change petitions filed by DWR and other water agencies to facilitate water transfers to the San Joaquin Valley.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as
soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the
Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this
proclamation.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF I have
hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed
this 12th day
of June, 2008.
________________________________
ARNOLD
SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California
ATTEST:
________________________________
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State
