The Barbed Wire - April 3, 2015

April 3, 2015
Drought Executive Order Issued
Water-Energy Grant Draft Funding Recommendations Released
Curtailment of Water Right Diversions Expected Soon
Obama Administration Releases Surface Transportation Proposal
TIGER Transportation Infrastructure Grant Availability Announced
New Groundwater Quality Funding Information Available at 2015 CFCC Funding Fairs

Drought Executive Order Issued

On April 1st, Governor Brown issued an Executive Order in response to the continued drought.  The actions announced continue the orders and provisions contained in the Governor’s January 17, 2014 and April 25, 2014 Executive Orders (with some modifications).   In addition, new initiatives were announced to address current severe drought conditions and beyond, as the possibility exists that the current drought will stretch into a fifth straight year in 2016.  The actions announced seek to save water, increase enforcement to prevent wasteful water use, streamline the state’s drought response, and invest in new technologies to make California more drought resilient. 

For the first time in the state’s history, the Governor has directed the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to implement mandatory water reductions of 25 percent to reduce water usage.  Other actions to reduce water usage include the replacement of 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought tolerant landscaping in partnership with local agencies.  New enforcement actions include providing new authority to the State Water Board to inspect property or diversions to ascertain compliance with water rights law and regulations and to require local governments to report on the implementation and enforcement of local water efficient landscape ordinances.  Streamlining the state’s drought response includes working with counties to provide temporary assistance for persons moving from housing units (served by a private well or water utility with less than 15 connections) due to a lack of potable water and where all reasonable attempts to find a potable water source has been exhausted.

Executive Order B-29-15 can be accessed here

Water-Energy Grant Draft Funding Recommendations Released

This week the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the release of the draft funding recommendations for the 2014 Water-Energy Grant Solicitation.  The funding for this program are appropriated proceeds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to DWR.  The release of the draft funding recommendations for the 2014 Water-Energy Grant Solicitation opens the public comment period. The public comment period will close on April 24, 2015 at 5:00 PM. DWR will hold a public meeting on April 17, 2015 in Sacramento at the CalEPA building in the Sierra Room beginning at 3:00 PM to receive public comments on the draft funding recommendations.   The public meeting presentation materials will be posted on the Water-Energy Grant website prior to the public meeting.  The draft funding recommendations can be accessed here.  

Curtailment of Water Right Diversions Expected Soon

The State Water Board issued a warning to water rights holders on April 2 to expect curtailment of water right diversions soon.  The notice advises that in the coming days, forecasts of water availability will be updated for many watersheds and posted on the State Water Board website.  The notice, which also contains the link to the State Water Board website can be accessed at here.

Obama Administration Releases Surface Transportation Proposal

Earlier this week, the Obama Administration released the full text of the Grow America Act, the Administration’s proposed six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.  The bill would provide $478 billion in funding over six years for the nation’s highway, transit, and passenger rail systems.  The Administration proposes to fund the legislation through a combination of the existing gas tax and a one-time tax on foreign holdings of U.S. companies.  The House and Senate will continue their discussion of surface transportation legislation when they reconvene on April 13th.  It is unclear how much of the President’s proposal Congress will support. 

TIGER Transportation Infrastructure Grant Availability Announced

The United States Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the availability of $500 million in grants under the seventh round of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program.  Funds for the FY 2015 TIGER program will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a “significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region.”  This grant program is highly competitive.  Last year, the Department of Transportation received 797 grant applications totaling $9 billion for a program last year that had $600 million.  Since 2009, Administration officials claim that the TIGER program has provided over $790 million to 117 projects in rural areas across the United States.

New Groundwater Quality Funding Information Available at 2015 CFCC Funding Fairs

Information about the State Water Resources Control Board’s funding programs, including new groundwater quality funding information, will be available at the upcoming 2015 California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) Funding Fairs.

CFCC Funding Fairs provide information about infrastructure grant, loan and bond financing programs and are open to public works, local governments, and California Native American Tribes among others.  CFCC agencies primarily fund projects, such as drinking water, wastewater, water quality, water supply, water conservation, and flood management.

The schedule of the funding fairs, registration and additional information may be accessed here.