Bill aims to help California save water
By Anshu Siripurapu, McClatchy
After years of drought, the state of California is bracing for water. Lots of it. Maybe even a rerun of the havoc caused by the failure of the Oroville Dam this winter.
As the record snows in the Sierra Nevada mountains begin to melt, there’s concern this spring and summer that the state will have more water than it can handle.
Earlier this year, heavy winter rains forced evacuations near the Oroville Dam, where repairs are now underway on the damaged flood-control spillway.
Congress is trying to help manage such drastic shifts in California’s water levels. Thursday, the House plans a vote on legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Garden Valley, that aims to help the state capture more of that water to save for a future dry season. The bill is expected to pass the House. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is pushing a similar bill in the Senate.
