Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015

H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015, seeks to increase water deliveries to agricultural and municipal users in California and other Western states by modifying how federal agencies manage water infrastructure and protected species. The bill would require federal officials to prioritize water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to Central Valley farms and communities, primarily by adjusting the environmental regulations that currently limit pumping to protect endangered fish like the Delta smelt and salmon.

For everyday citizens, the bill aims to provide a more reliable water supply for food production and local use during drought conditions by streamlining the permitting process for new reservoirs and water storage projects. It would also repeal the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, redirecting funds and water away from river restoration and toward irrigation. While the bill passed the House of Representatives in July 2015, it did not advance through the Senate during the 114th Congress.