BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As California faces growing water challenges, some say it’s time to rethink where our infrastructure dollars are going. The Kern County Water Agency is pushing for more investment in water projects rather than the high-speed rail.
The Water Agency says federal funding should be shifted away from California’s high-speed rail project and instead be used to modernize the State Water Project’s Delta Conveyance Project.
This project provides water to 27 million people — including Kern County, Southern California, and other regions. It supports nearly 750,000 acres of farmland and plays a critical role in California’s economy, supporting millions of jobs and hundreds of thousands of businesses statewide.
Water Agency leaders claim the Delta Conveyance Project would secure reliable water supplies for decades to come — while the high-speed rail continues to face cost overruns and delays.
Gene Lundquist, a Kern County Water Agency board director says, “Our thought is, why not transfer that 4 billion dollars to the State Water Project — and specifically the Delta Conveyance Project — which is part of the project that will deliver a tunnel with water down through the Central Valley to Southern California.”
What’s unknown, however, is whether that money could be legally reallocated, since it was specifically designated for transportation projects.
“But I think we have a chance of causing this to happen. If nothing else, we’re bringing attention to the issue. The Delta Conveyance facility and the State Project still take a lot of money, and right now it’s just on the cusp of not being affordable for growers here in Kern County. Four billion dollars would put it over the top, I think.” Lundquist said.
I reached out to the California High-Speed Rail Authority for comment, and they sent us this statement in part “With the first high-speed rail construction package already completed in northern Kern County and with the near completion of its southern railhead project, the Authority anticipates laying track within the next year to begin connecting Kern County residents to the economic engines of the state in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Even as high-speed rail continues to advance, Kern County water leaders say investing in water infrastructure now is key to supporting farms, jobs, and communities across the Central Valley and beyond.
There’s no certainty yet that the federal funding pulled from high-speed rail would go to local water projects, but Kern County water managers say it’s worth giving it a shot.
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