Gallagher secures major Northern California wins in WRDA Markup, urges swift passage on House Floor

Congressman James Gallagher (announced that multiple major priorities for Northern California were successfully included in the Water Resources Development Act (during the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup on Tuesday, July 14.

“This is a huge win for North State communities,” Gallagher said. “After less than a month in Congress, we’ve already secured major wins for Northern California. This bill strengthens our water infrastructure, improves water reliability, provides environmental stewardship and delivers long-overdue investments for the rural communities that have been overlooked for far too long. I’m grateful to Chairman Graves and the committee for their partnership, and I look forward to seeing WRDA pass the House.”

Key Gallagher wins included in WRDA
Sacramento River Basin Infrastructure
$155 million for water and wastewater upgrades across the Sacramento River Basin, improving water quality, environmental restoration and long‑term resilience.

Shasta Dam FIRO
Directs the Army Corps to implement Forecast‑Informed Reservoir Operations at Shasta Dam to reduce unnecessary water releases and improve water management.

Black Butte Dam Safety Review
Expedites the Corps’ dam safety study so long‑paused flood gate and lake operations can resume sooner.

Robbins sewer main replacement
Provides $3.35 million to replace failing sewer mains in Sutter County’s Robbins community.

Wildfire mitigation planning
Requires the Corps to develop plans to prevent and mitigate wildfire impacts on water resources projects, which is a major need for CA‑01.

Drought resilience assistance
Expands Corps support for drought mitigation and water supply projects, including conservation and resilience initiatives.

Water supply mission strengthening
Prioritizes the Corps’ water supply mission and directs timely completion of water supply studies.

Recreation and public safety funding
Doubles authorized funding for Corps partnerships with local governments and law enforcement to maintain and expand recreation access.

Chico Five‑Mile Basin flood control
Expedites a long‑term flood control project to reduce sediment buildup and increase system capacity.

Sutter County culvert repairs
Adds Robbins and Yuba City to eligible areas for culvert repair and replacement to address ongoing failures.

“WRDA is exactly the kind of bipartisan, practical infrastructure bill Congress should be advancing,” Gallagher said. “These provisions will help protect families from flooding, strengthen water reliability, support rural communities, improve wildfire mitigation and drought resiliency, and modernize Northern California’s water systems. California’s water rights have been under attack by the state’s administration time and time again, but this bill helps ensure rural communities in my district receive the support they deserve. I urge my colleagues to support WRDA when it comes to the floor, as our communities deserve to receive the full benefit of these critical federal investments.”

Click here to watch Gallagher’s remarks.