Assembly hears debate over $25 million start for Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program

Secretary Wade Crowfoot told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee that the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program represents an enforceable, implementation pathway to restore river flows and habitat and that the May Revision's $25 million one-time appropriation is intended to fund first-year environmental flows and the scientific monitoring necessary for adaptive management. "We are on borrowed time to build water reliability for our communities and our economy," Crowfoot said, urging early implementation to avoid severe cuts later.

The Legislative Analyst's Office acknowledged strong reasons for habitat investments but urged the Legislature to weigh the request against the state's fiscal constraints. "We do not find that this proposal meets the high bar for meeting health and safety needs" in the current budget context, LAO analyst Sonia Pinnock said, adding that the State Water Board has not yet adopted its updated Bay-Delta plan and that the Legislature needs clarity on what the state has already provided and what additional commitments would be expected over the program's eight-year horizon.

Why this matters: The Healthy Rivers and Landscapes approach is intended as an alternative to a strictly regulatory path that would require reductions in diversions; it combines enforceable commitments from water agencies with state and federal funding and habitat work. Crowfoot and Department of Water Resources staff said early investments have already secured substantial acre-feet and habitat, and the requested $25 million would fund initial implementation tasks and stand up monitoring that officials say is essential to judge whether the program is delivering biological outcomes.

What was asked and answered: Committee members pressed for detail on future costs and what the state's obligations would be beyond the one-time allocation. Crowfoot said implementation costs have escalated but that much of the early implementation funding has already been secured; department staff provided a figure of roughly $560 million the state has provided so far toward early implementation, while acknowledging additional hundreds of millions may be required to meet long-term targets. LAO recommended the Legislature seek clarity on how much the state has provided in nonstate funding and what the state would be expected to provide in future years before committing ongoing general fund dollars.

Next steps: The committee heard arguments for proceeding now to maintain momentum and guard against political gridlock, and arguments for pausing until the Water Board finalizes its plan and the Legislature has greater clarity on long-term obligations. No formal committee action or vote occurred during the hearing; members signaled they would continue to weigh the request against other budget priorities as the budget process continues.