$180 Million for State Water Projects in Compromise Bill

House and Senate negotiators have agreed to spend more than $180 million next year on construction of key California water projects, including $90 million to continue extensive flood control work on the Santa Ana River in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The accord on a $22-billion appropriations bill for energy and water projects also calls for spending more than $35 million for work on the federally owned Central Valley Project, much of it for environmental improvements. The extensive system of dams and canals supplies about 20% of the state’s water for agriculture, homes and businesses.

In addition to construction money, the budget agreement would provide $73 million to operate and maintain California’s existing flood control, navigation and other water projects, and more than $25 million for studies and planning.

A report detailing the energy and water appropriations for the 1993 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, was made public Wednesday.

The compromise legislation is all but sure to win final congressional approval, perhaps as early as this week, and appears likely to be signed by President Bush. The energy and water agreement calls for spending about $413 million less than the President requested in his budget message last January. The bill includes $517 million for the giant Texas-based atom smasher, the superconducting super collider, which is strongly supported by the White House.

California lawmakers said they were pleased with the accord.

“California won in this appropriations process,” said Republican Sen. John Seymour. “Our rivers, harbors, flood control projects, labs and fish and wildlife resources will all receive the federal assistance they need.”

Sen. Alan Cranston, a Democrat, said he was particularly pleased that the legislation includes millions to improve fish and wildlife habitats, especially along the Trinity River, which, Cranston said, “has been devastated by erosion.”

Included in the money for the Central Valley Project is $10.3 million for the Trinity River restoration program, $10.5 million for a diversion dam and other work on the Sacramento River to help restore its fish population and $4.4 million to protect the Suisun Marsh in the Sacramento River Delta.

Larry Devick, chief of the Army Corps of Engineers’ programs division, noted that the House-Senate compromise includes about $130 million more for corps programs than requested by the President. The corps is responsible for the bulk of the nation’s water projects, along with the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the Interior Department.

The lion’s share of California money will go to the Santa Ana River project, the largest flood control program in the nation, which ultimately is expected to cost $1.5 billion. The federal government would pay about two-thirds of the cost.

The Corps of Engineers has identified the Santa Ana River as the greatest flood threat west of the Mississippi and has estimated that a catastrophic flood along the 75-mile sweep of the river could cost 3,000 lives and cause $18 billion in property damage.

In Los Angeles County, the bill would provide nearly $5 million in operating funds for flood control and drainage projects, and another $3.1 million to study flood control improvements. The compromise measure includes $2.4 million for maintaining Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors, and $900,000 to study harbor improvements.

Other construction funds included in the bill are:

* $16.2 million for flood control work along five miles of the San Luis Rey River near Oceanside in San Diego County. The $62.9-million project is scheduled to be completed in September, 1994.

* $10 million for channel work and fish and wildlife habitat improvements along 2.5 miles of the Guadalupe River in Santa Clara County. The project, to cost a total of $133.6 million, is to be completed by September, 1996.

* $9.1 million for flood control basins and reservoirs on Redbank and Francher creeks, and enlargement of a dam on Big Dry Creek in Fresno County.