Omnibus Appropirations Act, 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker within the gigantic omnibus lands bill that is on the floor today are two authorizations for water projects that will greatly benefit my Congressional District and much of Southern California. I did not ask that the Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wildomar Service Area Recycled Water Distribution Facilities and Alberhill Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility Projects be rolled into this 1,200, plus-page bill. Each of these projects had enough merit to pass the House on their own and could have just as easily passed the Senate. They are worthy projects that will help to address the water shortage that Southern California continues to experience.

The first authorization, for the Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Project, directs the Bureau of Reclamation to construct a project for the benefit of the Fallbrook Public Utilities District and the United States Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton consisting of enhanced recharge in the groundwater basins using natural and enhanced river flows. All of the project rights-of-way are already held. A feasibility study and joint EIS/EIR is under preparation by the Bureau of Reclamation.

The project sets aside and preserves valuable riparian and upland habitats of the last free flowing river in California, using a portion of the 1,300 acres originally purchased for a dam and reservoir. It would improve and partially privatize the water supply to USMC Base Camp Pendleton, which will receive better quality water in quantities sufficient to meet water needs up to its ultimate planned utilization.

This legislation also provides a final resolution to litigation that began over forty years ago. In 1966, the U.S. District Court directed the Department of the Interior to provide a ``physical solution'' to the division of water of the Santa Margarita River as set forth in a stipulated judgment. Previous legislative efforts to authorize a two dam project on the river were not successful. The conjunctive use project utilizes advances in water treatment technology, making it possible to comply with the court's directive at less than half the cost of the two dam project and without environmental degradation.

Finally, this project provides a safe, drought and earthquake proof water supply of as much as 18,000 acre feet of water per year, enough for 35,000 families, for Camp Pendleton and Fallbrook. The project yield will be split with 60% for Camp Pendleton and 40% for Fallbrook.

This is a good project and deserves to be authorized.

The second authorization, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wildomar Service Area Recycled Water Distribution Facilities and Alberhill Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility Projects, Amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of permanent facilities needed to establish recycled water distribution and wastewater treatment and reclamation facilities that will be used to treat wastewater and provide recycled water in the water district.

This project is needed to provide additional water resources for agricultural and residential areas in Riverside County. In the wake of additional water limitations from the Colorado River and the Sacramento Delta this authorization creates an additional local water resource that gives the district better options.

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