Ahead of releasing his revised budget proposal Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom teased out new spending for flood protection and response. He hopes to add $290 million to the $202 million he already proposed in January, before winter storms and flooding wreaked havoc on the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys.
Newsom said the state’s investments must match the “reality of climate extremes” with the unprecedented weather whiplash California is facing. With drought, the package would add $25 million to the existing $75 million allocated for relief to ag-related businesses.
Newsom would also restore $40 million for floodplain restoration along the San Joaquin River, a line item he took heat for cutting in the January proposal. Another $25 million would be set aside for potential disaster relief and response from impending snowmelt flooding.
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The $202 first pitched in January would improve Delta levees and support flood control projects in the Central Valley. Newsom announced the state would cover the cost of raising the Corcoran Levee in the Tulare Basin to protect communities. The levee has steadily subsided since the 1980s due to the nearby groundwater pumping.
The governor plans to introduce legislation to permanently codify into state law his executive order easing groundwater recharge rules when tapping into flood flows. It would set clear conditions for diverting without permits or affecting water rights, according to his office.
