Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced its initial water allocation for the Central Valley Project:

“Though not unexpected, the Bureau of Reclamation’s announcement of an initial allocation of zero for agricultural water service and Friant Division contractors and 40 percent for senior water rights holders demonstrates the severity of this drought. The lack of available water makes transfers and exchanges very difficult and points to the need for greater flexibility in operating state and federal water systems to maximize what water we do have.

“The bill I introduced with Senators Boxer, Wyden and Merkley offers the flexibility we desperately need. It is vital the Senate pass this bill as soon as possible. We need to work with the House to send a bill to the president that provides immediate assistance to farms, businesses and communities in need of help.”

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