Environmental Law & Policy Alerts – Update from Somach, Simmons & Dunn

April 17, 2019

Congress Authorizes Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan

With atypical haste, on April 8, 2019, Congress passed legislation authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to implement the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan (DCP).  Once the President signs the DCP, the states can execute and implement a series of cascading agreements designed to shepherd the new Colorado River water savings plan.  The mighty Colorado provides water to over 40 million people in the seven Colorado River Basin states, and helps drive economies throughout its winding course.  Over time, this sweeping and historic agreement will touch many western water users.  The DCP also forms the basis for upcoming future negotiations for sharing Colorado River resources after 2026…. Read More

Written by Ramsey E. Kropf

April 17, 2019

Assemblymember Frazier’s Bill to Increase Local Representation on Delta Stewardship Council Dies in Committee

On April 9, 2019, Assembly Bill 1194 (AB 1194), aimed at increasing local representation on the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC), died in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.  A motion for a vote on the bill was made by the committee Vice Chair, Assemblymember Gallagher, but the bill failed to receive a “second” from the other committee members and so is effectively stalled for the 2019 legislative year.  The bill was spearheaded by Assemblymember Frazier and coauthored by Assemblymembers Eggman, Grayson, and McCarty as well as Senators Dodd and Galgiani, all members of the Delta Legislative Caucus.  In an attempt to align the DSC membership with the rules governing two other Delta agencies—the Delta Protection Commission and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy—AB 1194 would have increased the total number of voting council members to eleven, adding four new voting members…. Read More

Written by Michelle E. Chester