Bond Would Leverage Money For California’s Needs
The California legislature last week approved a series of bills designed to address water issues facing the state, including an $11.4-billion bond that will leverage another $30 billion if passed by voters next November.
The $40-billion plan targets the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta and its system of levees. It includes the creation of a new seven-member oversight body, the Delta Stewardship Council, to develop a comprehensive delta management plan by Jan. 1, 2012; the establishing of a groundwater monitoring program; reporting requirements for water diversions and imposition of civil liabilities and penalties for false statements; and a requirement for the state to achieve a 20% reduction in urban per-capita water use by Dec. 31, 2020.