Threats to the California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and McCloud River, illegal dam projects on state parks, and a small win for you…

U.S. Congressmen Valadao and McCarthy’s latest effort to drown more of the McCloud River under Shasta Reservoir was enshrined in the House-passed Energy & Water Appropriations bill (H.R. 4394). Luckily, the U.S. Senate version did not do so. There was some indication that California’s Senators played a positive role. This is critical since they will need to continue to do so even though the odds favor them being in the minority party next year — and the previous President may return…

Republican California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the legislation creating the California wild & scenic river system in 1972. In 1989, California Governor George Deukmejian (the Duke), also a Republican, signed legislation providing similar protection for the McCloud River under the state Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. Current House Republicans are working to dismantle these protections…

In addition Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s desire for the federal and state taxpayers to rebuild, expand, and build more infrastructure to supply water to his Congressional District (he is achieving some success there), he wants to help the giant Westlands Water District expand Shasta Reservoir…

From bad bills to bad rhetoric, there’s the “traditional bad stuff” happening in Congress right now…