Merced Times

Congressman Duarte led a hearing of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries in his district alongside Chairman Bentz. The event, titled “Water Abundance: Opportunities and Challenges in California,” gathered stakeholders, water experts, and community leaders to address the Central Valley’s water supply issues. Congressmen David Valadao, Vince Fong, Doug LaMalfa, and Tom McClintock joined Duarte and Bentz for the discussion. Prior to the hearing, Duarte, Bentz, and LaMalfa surveyed the state’s water systems and farmland.

"Our Central Valley is the backbone of our nation's food supply, yet unreliable water allocations and overreaching regulations continue to hurt our farmers and our community. We can do better, and we must do better," said Rep. Duarte. "During the field hearing, we focused on finding common-sense solutions to ensure water abundance and a stable future for our Valley. Today was a critical step toward securing more water, lower grocery prices, and a stronger economy."

The panel addressed how state and federal regulations limit water supplies to the Central Valley, negatively impacting farms, families, and communities. They discussed potential solutions such as the WATER for California Act, the FISH Act, and the Folsom South Canal Extension.

The hearing featured testimonies from key water experts and stakeholders including Allison Febbo (General Manager of Westlands Water District), Jason Phillips (CEO of Friant Water Authority), William Bourdeau (CEO of Bourdeau Farms), John Herrick (Counsel & Manager of South Delta Water Agency), Josh Weimer (Director of External Affairs at Turlock Irrigation District), and Ronda Lucas (Attorney at Lucas Law).

Congressman Duarte emphasized his commitment to empowering local water systems as well as farmers, mayors, and policymakers to develop solutions for Central Valley agriculture. He is working in Washington to advance his initiatives aimed at securing water for the valley to boost the local economy, reduce grocery prices, and improve environmental conditions.