The Trump administration is proposing to cut the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ construction budget next fiscal year by more than half, a move that could devastate levee restoration projects in the Delta. The proposed cuts, which would reduce the construction budget by 53% compared to the amount previously allocated, could include work on the San Joaquin Basin Project in Stockton, said U.S. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy. The basin project is directed at protecting 300,000 residents from flooding. Harder is one of 12 members of Congress who sent a letter urging that funding be restored. The congressional members sent the letter to the chairperson and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Water Subcommittee. … Besides the San Joaquin Basin Project, the letter lists other environmental works that are in jeopardy. One involves 42 miles of American River levees protecting Sacramento and the Natomas Basin. Another includes 41 miles of levees along the Sacramento River and its ship canal that would protect West Sacramento.

Other Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta news:

• Action News Now (Chico, Calif.): Public review period opens for Delta Cross Channel improvements in Sacramento
• AgNet West: Delta stressors must be addressed for water reliability
• The Pajaronian (Watsonville, Calif.): California Congressional Delegation protests Army Corps of Engineers cuts