SACRAMENTO — At the close of another dry winter, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders announced a $1 billion package of bills Thursday to expedite money for people and cities hit hard by the drought and prepare the state for the flip side of extreme weather patterns — flooding.

Joined by Democratic and Republican legislative leaders, Brown said the unprecedented drought has shown no signs of letting up and that state leaders must act.

“This is a struggle, and it’s something we’re going to have to live with for ... how long, we’re not sure,” Brown said at a news conference at the state Capitol.

A majority of the spending — $660 million — would go toward flood protection, using unspent bond money from a ballot measure passed nearly a decade ago. Although the money won’t ease the effects of the drought, Brown said, the state must prepare for what happens if intensely dry conditions are followed by heavy rains.

“An extreme weather event is, you get drought and then all of a sudden when you are all focused on drought, you get massive storms that flood through these channels and overflow and cause havoc,” Brown said.

The package announced Thursday would include $24 million in food assistance, including for farm workers whose hours were cut because of the drought. It would also provide $10 million to help farmers install more efficient irrigation systems, $16.6 million to protect fish and wildlife, and $20 million for emergency drinking water in hard-hit communities.

“There is no greater crisis facing our state today than its lack of water,” said state Senate leader Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles.

Multiple crises

De León said the drought is an economic, environmental and public health crisis.

“We cannot wait until June when the budget passes to start directing funds,” he said. “We definitely cannot wait for Washington for help. Congress hasn’t pitched in a penny.”

A $272 million chunk of the spending plan would come from the $7.5 billion water bond passed by voters in November. The money would be split between water recycling and desalination projects and improving the quality of drinking water.

The plan also calls for tapping $73 million from the state’s general fund toward increasing water supply and education, and protecting fish and wildlife.

“The drought isn’t letting up, so we can’t let up either,” said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego.

The $1 billion in spending would be in addition to $687 million that Brown and legislative leaders announced last year for water projects to help the state get through the drought. State leaders were criticized for how long it took to get the money to the projects they called shovel-ready. Legislative leaders said Thursday that they want to remove some of the red tape that has held up previous drought spending.

Brown said government can try to move faster, but it’s “the nature of the beast” that regulations slow things down.

With winter coming to a close, California is well into its fourth year of drought. The Sierra snowpack is near record lows, meaning runoff into reservoirs this summer will be minimal.

New crackdown

The State Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to expand and extend emergency regulations, such as limiting homes and businesses to two days of outdoor watering per week and cracking down on how hotels and restaurants use water.

Brown called on Californians last year to voluntarily reduce water use by 20 percent, but year-over-year consumption dropped only about 10 percent during the past seven months of 2014, according to data tracked by state officials.

The governor said Thursday that people need to do more, and that he plans to do his part to “up the pressure.” He said that if the drought continues, mandatory rationing will become more likely.

“Don’t worry,” Brown said. “If this drought continues, we will crank it down, and it will get extremely challenging for people in California.”

Republican leaders said they were caught off guard Wednesday night when Brown’s office announced the drought legislation. After being briefed Thursday morning, Assembly Republican leader Kristin Olsen of Modesto and state Senate Republican leader Bob Huff of Diamond Bar (Los Angeles County) joined Brown and Democratic leaders in announcing the package.

Brown said criticism over who was informed when was “a narrative that’s not particularly interesting.”

'Personal responsibility’

“We are all in this together,” Huff said. “Everyone in the state has to ask the question: How can I conserve more water? You can’t count on the government. We are doing our part. But really, it comes down to personal responsibility now.”

Olsen said the legislation provides important aid, but it’s no more than a temporary fix.

“Projects to increase water supply have been hung up in government red tape for decades,” she said. “I’m glad today we are making decisions that help people and look to us all to take real actions on long-term projects so emergency actions are no longer needed.”

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Drought-emergency-Jerry-Brown-lawmakers-unveil-6145502.php