{
  "id": "R43594",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R43594",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 431780,
      "date": "2014-06-10",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T20:21:14.977238",
      "title": "Analysis of Senate-Passed S. 2198: Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014",
      "summary": "Over the past five years, portions of the country have been gripped with extensive drought, including the state of California. Drought conditions in California are \u201cexceptional\u201d and \u201cextreme\u201d in much of the state, including in prime agricultural areas of the Central Valley, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Such conditions pose significant challenges to water managers who before this dry winter were already grappling with below-normal surface water storage in the state\u2019s largest reservoirs. Groundwater levels in many areas of the state also have declined due to increased pumping over the last three dry years. While March rain had improved the water year outlook somewhat\u2014moving the year from the driest on record in terms of precipitation to date to the third-driest\u2014water managers are fearful of the long-term impacts of a relatively dry winter and little existing snowpack to refresh supplies later in the year.\nBecause of the extent of the drought in California, drought impacts are varied and widespread. Most of the San Joaquin Valley is in exceptional drought, and federal and state water supply allotments are at historic lows. The state has also had to restrict diversions from some rivers and streams, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, two of the state\u2019s largest rivers. Many farmers are fallowing lands and some are removing permanent tree crops. Cities and towns have also been affected, and the governor has requested voluntary water use cutbacks of 20%. The effects of the drought are also likely to be felt on fish and wildlife species and the recreational and commercial activities they support, potentially including North Coast salmon fisheries. \nCongress is considering several bills that would address drought conditions in California. This report discusses S. 2198, as passed by the Senate on May 22, 2014. S. 2198 would address drought impacts in California and assist with drought response. The Senate-passed version of S. 2198 contains eight sections, whose provisions range from mandating maximization of California water supplies, through specific emergency project development, management, and operations directives and addressing project environmental reviews (as long as actions are consistent with applicable law and regulations and not highly inefficient), to prioritizing funding for certain emergency drought activities under existing water laws. In maximizing water supplies, the bill would address project operations that relate to long-standing and controversial issues associated with management of the federal Bureau of Reclamation\u2019s Central Valley Project (CVP) and the California Department of Water Resources\u2019 State Water Project (SWP), which are operated in coordination under a coordinated operations agreement (COA). Title II of S. 2198 as introduced, which would have expanded the assistance potentially available under an emergency declaration for drought (or other emergencies), was not included in the Senate-passed version of S. 2198.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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      "topics": []
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  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Environmental Policy"
  ]
}