[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1761 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1761
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 21, 1999
Mrs. Hutchison (for herself and Mr. Gramm) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 1999''.
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 following
counties in the State of Texas: Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr,
Willacy, Jim Hogg, Zapata, Webb, Maverick, Val Verde, Kinney,
Terrell, Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, and El Paso.
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, implement an aggressive
water conservation program, and improve water management 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) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary
of Agriculture, shall undertake a program to improve the supply of
water for the counties through the following activities:
(1) In cooperation with the State, water users in the
counties, and other non-Federal entities, conduct feasibility
studies, engineering work, and infrastructure construction and
improvements for the purpose of transporting raw water,
including the following:
(A) Irrigation canals.
(B) Pipelines.
(C) Flow control structures.
(D) Meters.
(E) All associated appurtenances.
(2) In cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the
State, water users in the counties, and other non-Federal
entities, enhance water conservation in the counties through
the installation of on-farm water application metering.
(3) In cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the
State, and other non-Federal entities, enhance water
conservation including on-farm installation of gated and poly-
pipe.
(4) In cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the
State, water users in the counties, and other non-Federal
entities including institutions of higher education--
(A) develop educational programs and implement on-
farm training in the use and application of state-of-
the-art water application and conservation techniques;
and
(B) provide educational information regarding use
and application of such techniques to the Commissioners
of the International Boundary and Water Commission.
(b) Project Eligibility Requirements.--A project shall not be
eligible to be implemented under this section unless--
(1) the project plan shows an estimate of the amount of
water that will be conserved as a result of the project; and
(2) the design for the project includes a cost-of-project-
to-water-developed ratio statement.
(c) Determination of Project Eligibility.--The responsibility for
determining project eligibility under subsection (b) shall be carried
out by the State in consultation with the Commissioner.
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 40 percent
of such costs. Not more than 30 percent of the costs of such an
activity may be paid by the State. Provision of the remainder of the
non-Federal share may include in-kind contributions of goods and
services.
SEC. 6. STUDIES.
(a) Alternative Water Supply Options.--
(1) Study and recommendations.--The Secretary, in
cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, counties, and
other non-Federal entities, shall--
(A) assess alternative water supply options for the
Counties of Maverick, Kinney, Edwards, Val Verde,
Terrell, Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, and
El Paso, Texas, for the purpose of alleviating water
supply shortages and project water demands; and
(B) submit recommendations to the Congress
regarding such alternatives.
(2) Emphasis on conservation measures.--Recommendations
under subsection (a) shall emphasize water management actions
that encourage the incorporation, by the counties referred to
in paragraph (1)(A) and irrigation districts in those counties,
of prudent and responsible water conservation measures to the
extent such measures are shown to be economically feasible.
(b) Wastewater Reuse.-- The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Secretary of Agriculture, the counties referred to in paragraph (1)(A),
the State, and other non-Federal entities, shall assess the feasibility
of wastewater reuse for irrigation and groundwater recharge and other
nonpotable purposes.
(c) Cost Sharing.--
(1) In general.--The Federal share of the cost of any
activity under this section shall not exceed 50 percent.
(2) Agreement.--The Secretary may not carry out any
activity under this section except under an agreement with a
non-Federal entity that has legal authority under the laws of
the State to obligate funds or provide in-kind services for
such activity, under which the non-Federal entity is obligated
to provide the non-Federal share of the cost of the activity.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out this Act $65,200,000.
<all>