MHMatters_2310_115hw

6 MountainHouseMatters.com
Issue #115 • October 2023
6
Produced by your neighbors right here in Mountain House, CA
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Best of San Joaquin Ahead at State of County Address
Tracy, CA – San Joaquin County Supervisor, 5th
District, and Chairman of the Board, Robert Rickman,
presented the first-ever “State of the County”
address Tuesday, September 19, 2023 to a near
capacity morning crowd at the Grand Theater here.
Hosted by the Tracy Chamber of Commerce, with
Chamber CEO Maria Valenzuela serving as emcee
for the event, the crowd gathered for a time in the
lobby, enjoying coffee and pastries and greetings.
Opening the show was president of the University
of Pacific, Christopher Callahan, who shared some
impressive information about UOP, its programs,
growth and initiatives. As the first university in the
Harder Reintroduces SAVE Water Resources Act to Address Central Valley Water Needs
WASHINGTON DC – Representative Josh Harder
September 20, 2023 reintroduced his Securing Access
for the Central Valley and Enhancing (SAVE)
Water Resources Act. The bill provides a wraparound
approach to addressing water issues facing
the Central Valley by increasing storage opportunities,
spurring innovation, and making long-overdue
investments in our aging water infrastructure. Water
is a crucial resource for San Joaquin County’s
agriculture industry, and Harder is committed to
protecting it for generations to come.
"Water is our most precious resource in the Valley
and we must do everything we can to protect it and
end the cycle of flooding and extreme drought,” said
Rep. Harder. “Pitting us against each other to fight
over water isn’t the answer. We need to invest in
our water infrastructure so that when we see historic
rain like earlier this year, it can be stored for later
use instead of flooding our families’ living rooms.”
Specifically, the bill:
INCREASES WATER STORAGE
Provides $250 million in storage funding and expedites
a record of decision to move forward on the
Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Phase II Project
which will bring an additional 115,000 acre feet of
water storage to the Valley.
Helps farmers prepare for SGMA by leveraging
federal resources to identify prime locations for
groundwater storage and recharge in California and
across the Western United States.
UPGRADES AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Establishes a water infrastructure and drought solutions
fund to provide $750 million for water surface
state of California, UOP has grown into three main
campuses: Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco,
with a vast array of specialties, from legal and
medical focuses to science and music.
The main event, of course, was Supervisor Rickman’s
address. After thanking the many dignitaries
in the room, and the Tracy Chamber for hosting, the
Chairman of the Board covered a lot of ground in
about a 30 minute speech.
Focusing initially on technological growth and
advances in the county, he said the county now
has “100% electronic plan review for all building
permits to make the process less complicated and
more efficient”.
He mentioned that the county is
hiring for numerous levels and
specialties, and encouraged all to
speak with him or go to the updated
web site at: SJGov.org.
and groundwater storage, water reclamation and
reuse, and WaterSMART program projects.
Reauthorizes the Rural Water Supply Act, which
requires the Bureau of Reclamation to work with
rural communities to improve access to safe and
clean sources of drinking water.
SPURS INNOVATION
Creates an innovative financing program that would
provide low-interest federal loans to fund local
water infrastructure projects.
Invests in water reuse and recycling by increasing
funding for WaterSMART programs from $50 million
to $500 million and extending the program's
authorization.
Expedites a request from Stockton East Water District
to provide water to unserved rural communities
in their Central Valley Project service area.
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives John
Garamendi (CA-8), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jimmy
Panetta (CA-19), and Eric Swalwell (CA-14) and
is supported by the Stockton East Water District and
Contra Costa Water District.
“Recent extreme drought has left no part of California
untouched, posing significant challenges for
farmers and communities,” said Rep. Costa. “The
heavy rain and floods California received this year
further demonstrate the importance of efficient water
management. This bill will help increase water storage
and spur innovation to ensure all communities
have access to a sustainable water supply.”
“Meeting California’s current and future water
needs should be a priority for every member of
The Supervisor touched on all areas
of the Board’s purview, including
the aforementioned technology,
into Educational efforts and advances.
“We put a premium on students and education,
and we take care of our veterans,” he said.
Law enforcement and Fire protection services have
been a strong focus for the board, he said, highlighting
the recent ground-breaking on new detention and
programs facility in French Camp, and the success
of the county DA’s office.
“The County has committed more than $12 million
in funding to 16 fire stations,” he said, outlining the
numerous investments.
Mr. Rickman gave a fair amount of attention to
dealign with the homeless crisis affecting not only
continued next page
our Congressional delegation, Republican or
Democrat,” said Rep. Garamendi. “I am pleased to
cosponsor Congressman Harder’s commonsense
bill again this year, which puts real solutions on
the table to help modernize our state’s aging water
infrastructure. The climate crisis demands that we
act now to secure the water supply necessary to
meet California’s growing needs. I call on Speaker
McCarthy, Governor Newsom, and the rest of my
Congressional colleagues from California to join us
in getting serious about reform.”
“Stockton East Water District is well underway
towards reaching our goal of 20,000 acre-feet of
increased surface water use to ensure sustainability
of the basin’s critically overdraft groundwater
supplies by 2040. We have surface water supply,
conveyance facilities, water treatment facilities, and
some available capacity within each to deliver more
water within the basin, but are limited by the service
area identified within our Central Valley Project
(CVP) contract. We are thankful for Congressman
Harder’s support for contract changes necessary
for groundwater sustainability and foresight by
realizing our necessary changes provide a benefit
already realized by other CVP contractors,” said
Justin Hopkins, General Manager, Stockton East
Water District.
“The Contra Costa Water District is very grateful for
Rep. Harder’s leadership on the SAVE Water Resources
Act. It contains several important provisions
that will provide a direct benefit to our customers
by making our water supply more durable and resilient,”
said Ernie Avila, Board President, Contra
Costa Water District.