$155 million would go toward supporting Sacramento River infrastructure under newest WRDA bill
The House of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved on July 1 the authorization of $155 million under the latest Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) bill to support the Sacramento River Basin, newly elected Congressman James Gallagher (CA-01) announced.
The authorization is part of the House Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) 2026 bill, which operates through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Environmental Infrastructure program. Gallagher's office said the authorization allows Congress to appropriate funds and the Corps to separately expend funds. It covers nine counties, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sacramento, Shasta, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba.
The WRDA is a legislative package that addresses water resources and infrastructure needs across the country. WRDAs provide Congress the opportunity every two years to authorize Corps projects, and Congress has enacted all WRDAs since 2014, with the WRDA 2024 bill being signed into law on January 4, 2025. Funding for WRDA-authorized projects comes separately from the annual Energy and Water Development appropriations.
If the WRDA 2026 bill passes, the $155 million would support the basin's water and wastewater infrastructure, environmental restoration and surface water protection. It would support environmental restoration meant to improve drought resilience, salmon recovery, and bird migration without increasing flood risk.
"The Sacramento River Basin is the foundation of California's water supply, and the families, farms, and communities of the North State have waited too long for a federal partner willing to invest at the scale this region demands," Gallagher said.
The Sacramento River Basin supports approximately 30 million Californians and 4 million acres of farmland across the state.
The late Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who represented the district prior to Gallagher, was an advocate for investments in the Sacramento River Basin.
"Doug LaMalfa devoted his career to the water users, farmers, and rural communities of Northern California," Rep. Gallagher said.
Proponents of the authorization note that the $155 million investment arrives four years after a severe drought in the Sacramento Valley in 2022 had cost local communities hundreds of millions of dollars and roughly 1,500 jobs.
"This investment reflects exactly the kind of multi-benefit, locally driven approach that has made the Sacramento River Basin special," said David Guy, President of the Northern California Water Association. "We look forward to partnering with the Army Corps to put these resources to work for fish, farms, and communities throughout the Basin."
The WRDA 2026 bill has now advanced to the full House. Gallagher says that he will continue working with his colleagues to ensure the Sacramento River Basin provision is preserved in the final legislation.