SB XX 1: Voters invest in a better water system

California faces large challenges, both technically and politically, to address its future water needs, and the legislature was stymied throughout 2008 by the ideological battle over whether to build more dams and reservoirs despite their high cost and environmental impacts. But there’s no reason the state shouldn’t be spending bond funds already approved by the voters to improve the state’s water supply management. SB 1 xx (Perata, Steinberg and Machado) allocates $807 million in existing water bond funds, including those from Propositions 1E and 84, for Integrated Regional Water Management, storm water management, Delta ecosystem improvements, and several other key programs necessary for near-term improvements in California's water systems.