At the McFarland Veterans Community Center, community members, local leaders, and tribal voices came together to celebrate a long-overdue victory, the creation of a Floodplain Restoration Bill.
Senate Bill 556 was introduced by Senator Hurtado back in February. The bill allocates a total of $21 million for the counties of Kern, Kings, and Tulare to help establish a floodplain restoration plan.
“This is not about funding, this is about people, it’s about families, children,” said Mayor Saul Ayon.
To celebrate the good news, local leaders gathered at the McFarland veterans hall on Friday.
The bill secures funding secured through Proposition 4 — the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Safe Communities Bond Act of 2024 — which will support floodplain restoration and improve groundwater recharge in flood-prone Central Valley communities.
Mayor Ayon says the push for the bill is due to issues tied to Poso Creek, a natural waterway that has repeatedly overflowed, putting McFarland homes, schools, and roads at risk, especially on the east side of town.
“When Pozo Creek overflows, flood waters pass through a large animal confinement facility, that’s housing over thousands of cattle.this is not simply storm water, its water contaminated with animal waste, creating serious public health and environmental hazards,” said Mayor Ayon.
When the bill was first introduced, Senator Melissa Hurtado asked for $43 million, however the state was only able to secure $21 million.
“It’s gonna take some time to see the results, but getting funding here is a huge and major step that is not always easy,” said Senator Hurtado.
River Partners is an environmental nonprofit in charge of overseeing the project. Now receiving a good financial starting point, they’re ready to move forward with the next steps.
“How much space does it, how much conveyance can we create in the channel itself and so the work of the next phase of this project will be actually looking into specific detail about how much, how big, how wide, how close to town,” said Rentner.
McFarland residents say this is a step in the right direction — and they’re ready to see promises turn into progress.
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