Millions in bond money going to CA Water Project if this bill becomes law

pproximately $158.2 million of bond money approved in 2024 will pay for projects in the State Water Project and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levees, according to an announcement from state Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton.

The money was approved as part of the budget bill Assembly Bill 113, which passed the legislature in August and is on the governor’s desk. According to McNerney’s office, the funding comes from Proposition 4, which California voters passed in 2024. Voters approved the $10 billion bond measure, which lifted the state’s ban on using public funds for election campaigns, allowing cities, counties and the state to create publicly-funded campaign finance systems in the future, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Part of that money, $90.2 million, will go to paying for fortification of the Delta’s aging levees, while $68 million will pay for the State Water Project’s California Aqueduct and canals, according to a press release issued by McNerney’s office and Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City.

McNerney told The Center Square via email that California’s contentious history regarding water shows the battle over water in California has pitted the Northern part of the state against Southern California and environmental groups against water contractors. The bill was meant to put that to an end, he said.

“We put aside our differences and joined together to support vital projects that will protect California’s water and the Delta, while also benefitting the entire state,” McNerney wrote. “But we’re not done. This historic investment is just a down payment. In the years to come, we need to continue to protect California’s primary supply of freshwater.”

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