Press Releases

Today in testimony in front of the House Natural Resources Committee, the Department of the Interior announced support for Rep. Jeff Denham’s (R-Turlock) SOS Act, which eliminates the counterintuitive doubling requirement for predator fish created by the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA).

In his written testimony, Tom Iseman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced support for both the SOS Act and further modifications to the CVPIA.

“Reclamation and the Department appreciate the interest in reducing threats to the survival of listed fish in the Bay Delta,” said Iseman. “We believe that the CVPIA provides a useful framework for promoting the recovery of fish species in the Bay Delta, and its tributaries, and with the changes noted above, the Department would be pleased to support the CVPIA amendment provided by HR 4582.”

“This is bipartisan and common-sense legislation that means less money, time, and water wasted,” said Rep. Denham. “I’m pleased to see the Department of the Interior and the Obama Administration recognize its value and look forward to seeing this bill enacted into law.”

Since its introduction in February 2016, the SOS Act has received support from 15 water agencies and irrigation districts throughout California. A list of those supporting agencies can be found here.

More information, including full bill text of the SOS Act, H.R. 4582, is available here.