LaMalfa says Newson's water policy hurts agriculture

Jul. 14—Washington, D.C. — Congressman Doug LaMalfa. R-Richvale, is not pleased with Governor Newsom's executive order calling on all Californians to reduce water use by an additional 15 percent.

"During the fall, winter, and spring of an obvious water-short year, government chose to continue sending full allocations of water downstream for fish and other environmental purposes. While California's water decision-makers claim these were necessary, hoping there would be enough precipitation in the winter and spring to cover these flows proved to be nothing more than a failed bet," La Malfa said. "Due to this gamble, residential water allocations have already been cut in many areas with the governor asking for another 15 percent. Many farms will receive nothing. Those that are currently farming cannot just simply cut 15 percent mid crop-year. Further, nearly the entire winter-run Chinook salmon population may die from a physical lack of available water."

He went on to say, the problems the state and its residence face today are a failure of Newsom's management and a failure to invest in new water storage before another inevitable drought.

"Governor Newsom failed our state by not calling for a statewide emergency early this spring. Urban household water use has seen mandatory cuts, agriculture has endured drastic cuts, to as low as zero in large acreages of our state," La Malfa added. "Allowing environmental water flows to go unscathed in meeting pre-drought goals when it could have been conserved for when and for who it was most needed is a colossal failure. It means we all suffer now, agriculture and urban people. It's past time for Governor Newsom to spread the pain to his environmentalist friends and for them to bear their share of the shortage burden."

LaMalfa represents California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama counties.