Friday July 17, 2026
Alex Padilla —
Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) bipartisan bill to restore a long-lost salmon run on the San Joaquin, California’s second longest river. The bill advanced out of committee by voice vote.
“As droughts, floods, rising project costs, and funding delays continue to threaten watersheds across our state, Congress has a responsibility to restore salmon and improve recreational access to free-flowing rivers in areas like the San Joaquin Valley,” said Senator Padilla. “I am proud to see my bill to authorize additional funding to support ecological restoration of the San Joaquin River advance. My bill also mitigates water supply losses for Friant Division farmers, and I will continue to advocate for bolstering drought resiliency and water supply across California.”
This bipartisan bill would authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act. To further support the ongoing implementation of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP), this legislation would raise the cap on federal appropriations for the program by $500 million while increasing the authorization of appropriations for Friant Division canal improvements.