SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER AND POWER
Fresno City Council Chambers, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, California
Monday, April 11, 2011
10:00 a.m. Pacific Time

• Official hearing transcript
• Press Release - Local Residents Stress Need for Congressional Action to Address California's Man-Made Drought (4/11/2011)
• Committee Action - Water and Power Subcommittee to hold Fresno Field Hearing on the Man-Made Drought in California (3/21/2011)

OVERSIGHT FIELD HEARING ON:

• ­­­­­­­"Creating Jobs by Overcoming Man-Made Drought: Time for Congress to Listen and Act"

Watch the Archived Hearing Webcast: Note: The audio will begin approximately 22 minutes into the webcast.

OPENING STATEMENTS:

The Honorable Tom McClintock
Chairman

The Honorable Doc Hastings
Full Committee Chairman

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY:

Panel I

Dayatra Latin
Director of Programs and Development
Community Food Bank
Fresno, California
(Truth in Testimony Form)

The Honorable Phil Larson
Chairman
Fresno County Board
Kerman, California

The Honorable Mark Watte
Councilman
City of Tulare, California
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Kole Upton
Chairman
Madera-Chowchilla Water and Power Authority
Madera, California
(Truth in Testimony Form)

The Honorable Mary Piepho
Supervisor
Contra Costa County
Discovery Bay, California

Larry Collins
President
San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association
San Francisco, California
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Tom Birmingham
General Manager
Westlands Water District
Fresno, California
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Jim Beck
General Manager
Kern County Water District
Bakersfield, California

The Honorable John Laird *
Secretary
Natural Resources Agency
Sacramento, California

The Honorable Mike Connor
Commissioner
Bureau of Reclamation
Washington, DC

* Invited but declined to attend.

BACKGROUND:

The hearing will examine federal government policies that have created and contributed to California’s man-made drought and the actions needed to supply the San Joaquin Valley with water to put thousands back to work, feed the nation and grow the economy. In May 2007, a Federal District Court Judge ruled that increased amounts of water had to be re-allocated towards protecting the Delta smelt – a three-inch fish on the Endangered Species List. Water is also re-allocated for salmon. Because of this ruling, more than 300 billion gallons of water were diverted last year away from San Joaquin Valley farmers to the Pacific Ocean. Some nearby communities experienced massive unemployment as a result.