Local delegation back from DC water trip

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Valley delegation in search of drought relief has just returned from Washington DC. The Council of Governments or COG spent five days meeting with elected and federal officials.

A fourth straight year of drought put water at the top of the priority list. The Fresno COG "One Voice" delegation also met with staffers from the White House and the department of the interior. Mario Santoyo of the California Latino Water Coalition said the group pushed for re-allocating environmental water for cities and farms.

Santoyo explained, "There's only so much water and everybody is taking reductions except for environmental water usage so we were proposing, why don't they take the same cut?"

US Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) also spoke to the group which seeks the easing of federal pumping restrictions in the delta so more water can be moved south to Valley farms and communities. COG executive director Tony Boren said in previous trips the group targeted funding for specific projects.

Boren said, "Now we go back trying to affect public policy in one way or another and this year with the water and the drought and everything that was our primary focus and that's a tough nut to crack."

Still, the group was encouraged by its lobbying efforts.