WATER WINS: Harder Secures Historic $65 Million Investment in Central Valley Water Storage

WASHINGTON — Today, Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) announced that he helped secure a historic $65 million in recommended funding levels for two Central Valley water storage projects. Rep. Harder urged the Secretary of the Interior to include these two local projects in her list of recommended Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act surface storage projects. The Secretary recommended $15 million for the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir and $50 million for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion. These projects will increase the Valley's resiliency by expanding water storage and represents one of the largest investments in storage in the Valley in a generation. Since stepping foot in Congress, Rep. Harder has secured more than $85 million for Central Valley water projects total including the first new surface storage water project in his district in 50 years.

"The last major federal surface water storage project built in our state was in 1979. Since then, we've doubled our population statewide and done things like invented the internet and ended the Cold War. It's time our water storage system was made to keep up with the times," said Rep. Harder. "Securing $65 million for Central Valley water means more jobs for our workers, more crops for our farmers, and more water for our families. This is a huge investment in the future of our community and I'm proud we could make it happen."

Rep. Harder is one of the most prominent voices on water storage in Congress, recently leading a bipartisan group of his colleagues urging water storage be included in any upcoming infrastructure package. Even before today's set of wins, Rep. Harder had already delivered millions in water storage funding to the Central Valley.

Storage Projects

Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir – Del Puerto Water District will receive another $15 million for the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir. This is on top of the $1.5 million Rep. Harder secured last year for feasibility studies for the project. The project will expand off-stream water storage up to 85,000 acre-feet for DPWD, which is based in Patterson, CA, in Rep. Harder's district.

Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion – Rep. Harder worked to secure $50 million for this project on top of the $7.84 million he secured last year. The reservoir currently stores up to 160,000 acre-feet of water, and the expansion will add another 115,000 acre-feet of capacity. The project also provides water to wildlife areas south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.