US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $449 million to help build an innovative water management system that will increase the reliability of the California water supply and create more than 560 jobs in the Sacramento Valley. Secretary Perdue was joined by US Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Rickey "R.D." James. The announcement follows on President Donald J. Trump’s memo to promote a reliable supply and delivery of water out west.
“Modern and reliable water infrastructure is the backbone to prosperity in the Sacramento Valley and across our nation. Under the leadership of President Trump, USDA is committed to being an ally to innovative leaders taking action to rebuild rural infrastructure in California and beyond, which is why we are investing in projects like the Maxwell Water Intertie,” said Secretary Perdue. “By working in a collaborative fashion with our state and local partners, we can balance the needs of everyone involved and ensure that the productivity of water in the Sacramento Valley is around for generations of farmers and ranchers to come.”
“The Army is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to carefully manage the water resources of the Sacramento Valley,” said R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “This project represents the President’s ongoing commitment to rural America to ensure the effective functioning of the nation’s agricultural economy.”
Usda.gov also quoted Jim Watson, General Manager, Sites Project Authority, as saying: “The Maxwell Water Intertie will increase the efficiency and reliability of water management in the western Sacramento Valley by adding to and improving existing water infrastructure to facilitate greater flexibility in water conveyance, which would increase the drought resistance of rural communities and help to support our region’s agricultural economy.”