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ByScottSmith The Associated Press FRESNO The nation's largest irrigation district agreed to spend $3.5 bil- lion to clean up contami- nated water in California's fertile Central Valley in a tentative deal announced Tuesday that will settle a decades-old dispute with the federal government. Westlands Water Dis- trict will clean up water tainted by salt that has accumulated in soil from years of irrigation, general manager Thomas Birming- ham said. Federal officials have failed for more than half a century to do the work that the district will undertake, he said. But critics say the dis- trict and the U.S. Depart- ment of Interior secretly forged the agreement that wipes away large amounts of the district's debt and potentially gives it greater access to the state's scarce water supplies amid a re- cord drought. Responding to critics, Birmingham said that ne- gotiations were done in private, but were not se- cret. "They feel the need to attack anything that ben- efits Westlands," Birming- ham said. "Westlands, by doing this, is undertaking significant risks and obli- gations that we currently don't have." The tentative deal re- quires final approval by Congress. The district supplies irri- gation water to 700 farms that grow everything from almonds to tomatoes on land in the San Joaquin Valley stretching from Firebaugh and Kettleman City. The district makes up a large part of central California farming, which leads the nation in pro- ducing fruits, vegetables and nuts. The U.S. Bureau of Rec- lamation estimated in 2007 that the cleanup would cost $2.7 billion. The cost has risen to $3.5 billion, which Westlands agreed to pay for the full cleanup, Bir- mingham said. The settlement also re- lieves Westlands of $350 million owed to taxpay- ers for its part in build- ing the Central Valley Project, the system of ca- nals that delivers water to providers as far south as San Diego. It grants Westlands an indefinite water contract, rather than one that has to be renewed every two years. Farmers within the district also will no longer have to limit their farms to 960 acres. Those terms worry U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D- Calif., who urged federal officials for more trans- parency in the settlement. McNerney represents res- idents along the Sacra- mento-San Joaquin River Delta, a major source of Westlands' water. He and other members of Congress were briefed Friday on the settlement. "It's a sweetheart deal," McNerney said. "There's a lot of concern about what's in the agreement." CENTRAL VALLEY Irrigation district agrees to pay $3.5 billion to clean up water By Christopher Weber The Associated Press LOS ANGELES A record- breaking storm slammed parched Southern Califor- nia on Tuesday, cutting off power to thousands, jam- ming traffic during the morning commute and stranding some people in surging waterways. Downtown Los Ange- les saw a staggering 2.38 inches, breaking a record for rainfall for the date and marking the second-wettest 24-hour period on record for September, National Weather Service meteorol- ogist Robbie Munroe said. Swift-water rescue crews plucked three people and a dog from tree branches as the Los Angeles River quickly swelled from its usual trickle to a raging torrent. "Me and my dog, we got caught by the rising waters. We had to climb up a tree to wait it out," said David Quinones, a homeless man who lives in an encamp- ment along the riverbank just north of downtown. "We were just kind of cling- ing on for dear life." Quinones told KABC-TV that he and his dog were do- ing OK, and he was going back to the river to check on his camp. In northeastern Los An- geles County, two people were rescued from a swol- len creek near Asuza. In nearby San Gabriel, two homes were red-tagged af- ter their foundations eroded when a concrete retaining wall collapsed along a wash near a construction site. No injuries were reported. The storm grew after a low-pressure system from the northwest part of the state combined with the remnants of former Hurri- cane Linda, which formed Sept. 6 in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico and later dissi- pated off Baja California. In neighboring Arizona, the monsoon brought pun- ishing wind and driving rain to the Phoenix area Monday night. Trees and utility poles fell, knock- ing out power to 18,000 customers, and the Veter- ans Affairs hospital was damaged. The facility was closed to new admissions, and some patients were re- located. The main pulse of the Southern California storm hit overnight, then tapered off at midmorning. Traffic backed up fol- lowing spinouts and fender benders on several slick freeways. Flooding shut down Interstate 710 south- east of downtown. West- bound Interstate 210 in Pasadena was expected to be closed for several hours after a big rig overturned and blocked all lanes, Cali- fornia Highway Patrol Offi- cer Monica Posada said. No- body was hurt. Gutters overflowed and floodwaters rushed down residential streets through- out greater Los Angeles, stalling cars in intersec- tions. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Record rain swamps roads, swells rivers PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Thankyou! JAMESQUIGG—THEVICTORVALLEYDAILYPRESS Traffic is slowed from the rain at the Cajon Pass and the Interstate 15near Hesperia. PG&E Bright Minds Scholarship winner MadisonDunlap "PG&E" refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. ©2015 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved. Chicois awinner! Astraight-Astudentpracticallysincekindergarten, MadisonDunlapwasstillprettyshockedwhen herscholarshipwasannounced."Icouldn'tstop smilingtherestoftheday,"saidMadison.Shegets herstrongworkethicfromherparentsandcredits hergymnasticandtrackcoachesforherendurance andpersistenceineverythingshedoes. This fall, Madison will put those skills to the test at the University of California, Berkeley, where she will be a math major. She volunteered a lot of her time to her community during high school and she's looking forward to continuing her efforts in college. Madison Dunlap is one of 10 winners of a $20,000 scholarship renewable for up to five years. Another 90 winners received $2,000 Bright Minds scholarships. Since its inception in 2012, the program has committed $3 million in scholarships to 400 students throughout Northern and Central California. 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