June 12--To help Western states combat what federal officials called "severe" and "historic" drought conditions, the Obama administration on Friday announced $110 million in additional funding to provide temporary jobs for dislocated Californians, support farmers and improve water efficiency.
The money comes on top of more than $190 million that federal agencies have already committed to support drought-stricken communities this year, officials said.
"The drought conditions that several states across the West are facing are severe and the wildfire conditions are tough as well," said White House Senior Advisor Brian Deese. "So we're going to do everything that we can to try to be supportive both in terms of resources, but also in terms of authority in coordinating and problem solving. These are really substantial challenges."
Earlier Friday, President Obama and his advisors participated in a briefing on drought and wildfire preparedness with Western governors, including California Gov. Jerry Brown. About 35% of the West faces severe to exceptional drought, officials said.
A significant share of the new federal funding will wind up in California.
Officials cited a recent UC Davis study estimating that 18,000 jobs have been lost in California because of drought. As part of the new funding, the Department of Labor will award as much as $18 million to the state to provide temporary jobs for dislocated workers, said Portia Wu, an assistant Labor secretary.
In addition, $6.5 million in federal grants will go toward water management improvement projects over the next two years, officials said.
All of that money will be funneled to California, said Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor.
An additional $10 million is allocated for small, rural communities in California that need emergency water, said Robert Bonnie, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A "sizable portion" of the $21 million meant to help landowners adopt water conservation practices will also go to California, he said.
"We're marshaling every resource we have to provide meaningful relief," Connor said.
The funding arrives as California struggles through a fourth year of drought. After viewing a historically abysmal snowpack on April 1, Brown ordered a mandatory 25% cut in urban water use statewide and issued a slew of other restrictions meant to curb water waste.
In a statement, Brown said, "This aid will provide new opportunities for farmworkers and rural communities most impacted by the drought and make the state more water-efficient and drought resilient."
On Friday, meanwhile, the State Water Resources Control Board announced a curtailment order for senior water-rights holders, the first such cutback in nearly 40 years.
It forces more than 100 irrigation districts and others with some of the oldest water rights in California to stop pumping supplies from drought-starved rivers and streams in the Central Valley.
