[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1761 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1761
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of
Reclamation, to conserve and enhance the water supplies of the Lower
Rio Grande Valley.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lower Rio Grande Valley Water
Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) State.--The term ``State'' means the Texas Water
Development Board and any other authorized entity of the State
of Texas.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner.
(3) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation.
(4) Counties.--The term ``counties'' means the counties in
the State of Texas in the Rio Grande Regional Water Planning
Area known as Region ``M'' as designated by the Texas Water
Development Board and the counties of Hudspeth and El Paso,
Texas.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Drought conditions over the last decade have made
citizens of the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of Texas aware
of the significant impacts a dwindling water supply can have on
a region.
(2) As a result of the impacts, that region has devised an
integrated water resource plan to meet the critical water needs
of the Lower Rio Grande Valley through the end of the year
2050.
(3) Implementation of an integrated water resource plan to
meet the critical water needs of the Lower Rio Grande Valley is
in the national interest.
(4) The Congress should authorize and provide Federal
technical and financial assistance to construct improved
irrigation canal delivery systems to help meet the critical
water needs of the Lower Rio Grande Valley through the end of
the year 2050.
SEC. 4. LOWER RIO GRANDE WATER CONSERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
(a) The Secretary is authorized to undertake a program to improve
the supply of water for the counties as provided in this Act.
(b) In cooperation with the State, water users in the counties, and
other non-Federal entities, the Secretary shall conduct feasibility
studies for the purpose of conserving and transporting raw water,
including the following--
(1) irrigation canals;
(2) pipelines;
(3) flow control structures;
(4) meters; and
(5) all associated appurtenances.
(c) If the Secretary determines that the following projects satisfy
the eligibility criteria in subsection (d) (1)-(3), the Secretary, in
cooperation with the State, water users in the counties, and other non-
Federal entities, is authorized to conduct engineering work,
infrastructure construction and improvements for the purpose of
conserving and transporting raw water through the following projects--
(1) in the Hidalgo County, Texas Irrigation District #1, a
pipeline project identified in the Melden & Hunt, Inc.
engineering study dated July 6, 2000 as the Curry Main Pipeline
Project;
(2) in the Cameron County, Texas La Feria Irrigation
District #3, a distribution system improvement project
identified by the 1993 engineering study by Sigler, Winston,
Greenwood and Associates, Inc.;
(3) in the Cameron County, Texas Irrigation District #2
canal rehabilitation and pumping plant replacement as
identified as Job Number 48-05540-002 in a report by Turner
Collie & Braden, Inc. dated August 12, 1998; and
(4) in the Harlingen Irrigation District Cameron #1
Irrigation District a project of meter installation and canal
lining as identified in a proposal submitted to the Texas Water
Development Board dated April 28, 2000.
(d) Project Eligibility.--(1) Within six months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the State,
shall develop criteria for determining eligible projects under this
Act. Such criteria shall include, but need not be limited to the
following requirements--
(A) the project plan includes an engineer's estimate of the
amount of water to be conserved;
(B) the design for the project includes a cost of project
to water saved ratio; and
(C) there is a cost sharing agreement in place between all
relevant parties delineating the proportionate share of costs
to be paid on an annual basis.
(2) Within one year of the date a project is submitted to the
Secretary for approval, the Secretary shall determine whether the
project meets the criteria established pursuant to this section.
SEC. 5. COST SHARING.
The non-Federal share of the costs of any activity carried out
under, or with assistance provided under, this Act shall be 50 percent.
Not more than 40 percent of the costs of such an activity may be paid
by the State and the remainder of the non-Federal share may include in-
kind contributions of goods and services, and funds previously spent on
feasibility and engineering studies.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out this Act such sums as may be necessary, but not to exceed
$7,500,000 for the purposes of section 4(c).
Passed the Senate October 27 (legislative day, September
22), 2000.
Attest:
Secretary.
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1761
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of
Reclamation, to conserve and enhance the water supplies of the Lower
Rio Grande Valley.