McNerney brings home the bacon

In a perfect world, we might decry the congressional practice of earmarking — pork — but it’s not a perfect world. Not only is California a donor state, contributing more federal dollars than it gets back, but most of the dollars that do return go to urban coastal areas, though the Valley is much poorer. To put it simply, both state and federal government neglect this region.

Under those circumstances, and given all the rotting infrastructure around here, pork is not an astute end-run around the full Congress’s appropriations process, it’s the righting of a social injustice.

That’s my story, anyway. And I’m sticking to it.

So kudos to Congressman Jerry McNerney, who just announced a flurry of federal dollars for the Valley. If I had time to fish out my old Pork-O-Meter, rest assured the needle would be showing a very high rating.

The list of McNerney’s earmarks are below.

$314,000 for the Central Valley Integrated Flood Management Study   

 This project will help develop a comprehensive and sustainable flood management plan for the Central Valley and reduce flood risk to people, property and infrastructure.  Funding will be used by the Army Corps of Engineers in coordination with local partners, including the California Department of Water Resources.

  $394,000 for the Delta Islands and Levees Feasibility Study

This study will help develop a long-term strategy for addressing levee challenges in the San Joaquin Delta.  The study will assess existing and future flood risks in the San Joaquin Delta as well as opportunities for ecosystem restoration.  It will also address water supply and recreation needs and help develop a roadmap for Army Corps involvement in a wide range of water resource issues.  Funding will be used in coordination with local partners, such as the California Department of Water Resources.

$484,000 for the Farmington Groundwater Recharge Project
Funds will be used for construction of infrastructure for the Farmington Groundwater Recharge Project underway in eastern San Joaquin County.  The project is intended to help replenish a groundwater basin that is overdrawn due to water usage exceeding natural recharge and address the threat of saline water intrusion.  Stockton East Water District will use these funds in coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers.

$4,844,000 for the Levee Stability Program, CALFED

The California Bay-Delta Program (CALFED) is a federal-state partnership to improve water resources in the San Joaquin Delta.  CALFED’s levee stability program provides for long-term protection of vast resources in the San Joaquin Delta by maintaining and improving the integrity of the area’s extensive levee system.  Funds will be used by the Army Corps of Engineers and its state and local partners to continue levee stability projects in the San Joaquin Delta.

$897,000 for the Lower San Joaquin River Study

The Lower San Joaquin River Study, a high priority for San Joaquin County, is intended to identify and develop priority flood protection initiatives in urban areas of the county.  The study analyzes the best means to improve levees and other flood protection infrastructure and is conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers in coordination with San Joaquin County and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency.      

$233,000 for Mokelumne River Regional Water Storage

This project will provide for the capture of un-appropriated flows from the Mokelumne River in wet years, improving water supply and reliability for San Joaquin County.  Funding will assist project planning and development and will expand the amount of available water resources in San Joaquin County.  This project is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation in coordination with local partners.

$100,000 for the Pinole Shoal Management Study

Maintenance dredging routinely occurs in the San Joaquin Delta, and this study helps identify beneficial uses for dredged materials.  This project is administered by the Army Corps of Engineers and benefits local partners including Contra Costa County and the Port of Stockton.

$3,377,000 for the Port of Stockton Ship Channel

Funds will be used by the Army Corps of Engineers for maintenance dredging of the Port’s ship channel on the San Joaquin River, which extends from Suisun Bay to the turning basin at the Port of Stockton.  Annual maintenance dredging is essential to the Port’s day-to-day operations and necessary for the safe movement of commercial vessels up the channel.

$484,000 for the Stockton Metropolitan Area Flood Project

Funds will be used by the Army Corps of Engineers for reimbursement of costs incurred by local partners during the Stockton Metropolitan Area Flood Control Project.  This project provided for the construction of levee and bridge improvements.