Dear Friends,

The Bureau of Reclamation recently increased the water allocation for south-of-delta users from 40 percent to 45 percent.

Any additional water in the Central Valley is welcome, and a 45 percent allocation is surely better than the zero allocation we were receiving not long ago. This increase comes amid another positive development, which is that most Valley water agencies and ag groups are now speaking with one voice and have ended the circular firing squad that, for a long time, held back Valley efforts to get more water.

Still, there is a lot more work to do. The Valley should be getting a 100 percent allocation. Environmental regulations that result in billions of gallons of water being flushed into the ocean, the operation of the pumps at less than capacity, and the lack of adequate storage are crucial problems that diminish our water security. The House of Representatives has passed numerous bills to solve these problems, all of which have been killed by Democratic opposition in the Senate. So long as Senate Democrats refuse to provide Valley communities the full allocation we're entitled to, our fight for water will continue.

Sincerely,

Devin Nunes
Member of Congress