[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3971 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3971

 To assist in the conservation and stabilization of water quantity and 
   quality for fish habitat and recreation in the Walker River Basin 
  consistent with Decree C-125, issued by the United States District 
                   Court for the District of Nevada.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 1996

 Mrs. Vucanovich introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                       the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To assist in the conservation and stabilization of water quantity and 
   quality for fish habitat and recreation in the Walker River Basin 
  consistent with Decree C-125, issued by the United States District 
                   Court for the District of Nevada.

    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 ``Walker River Basin Conservation and 
Stabilization Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION IN WATER BANKING AND LAKE PROTECTION AND 
              ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) Purpose.--The Secretary of the Interior (in this Act referred 
to as the ``Secretary'') shall participate in efforts by the Walker 
River Basin Water Users Association, the Walker River Irrigation 
District, and the Walker River Paiute Tribe (in this Act referred to as 
the ``locally affected interests'') to conduct studies relating to, and 
to implement, the projects described in subsection (e), to assist in 
the stabilization of water quantity and quality at Walker Lake for the 
purposes of conserving fish habitat and recreation in the Walker River 
Basin.
    (b) Participation.--The Secretary, subject to the availability of 
appropriations, shall provide funds and technical assistance to the 
locally affected interests through grants or cooperative agreements 
pursuant to memoranda of understanding under subsection (d).
    (c) Cost Sharing.--The Secretary's share of costs associated with 
the projects described in subsection (e) shall not exceed 75 percent of 
the total thereof. The non-Federal share of the costs of operation and 
maintenance of the projects shall be 100 percent.
    (d) Memoranda of Understanding.--The Secretary may enter into one 
or more memoranda of understanding with the locally affected interests 
to facilitate the disposition of funds authorized by this Act.
    (e) Project Descriptions.--The projects referred to in subsection 
(a) are the following:
            (1) Walker river water banking demonstration project.--A 
        project to establish, in accordance with Nevada State law and 
        other applicable law, a locally managed Walker River Water Bank 
        to facilitate voluntary water transfers, including any water 
        conserved under the project described in paragraph (2), within 
        the Walker River Basin in Nevada and California.
            (2) Water conservation project.--A project designed to 
        encourage the locally affected interests to voluntarily 
        conserve water in the Walker River Basin, in addition to 
        voluntary water transfers for banking described in paragraph 
        (1).
            (3) In general.--Such other water management projects the 
        Secretary considers appropriate, including projects such as 
        stream protection, phreatophyte control, debris control and 
        removal in Walker Lake and its tributaries, other small flood 
        control projects, water quality analysis, fish biology 
        analysis, salt management, cloud seeding, and ground water 
        modeling and management.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $7,500,000. 
Funds appropriated under this section shall be made available to the 
locally affected interests to carry out the projects specified in 
subsection (e), in accordance with memoranda of understanding entered 
into under subsection (d). Of the amount authorized by this Act to be 
appropriated, $5,000,000 is authorized to be made available for the 
project described in subsection (e)(1), and the remainder is authorized 
to be made available for the projects described in paragraphs (2) and 
(3) of subsection (e). Funds appropriated under this Act shall remain 
available until expended.

SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH STATE WATER LAWS.

    The Secretary shall not take any action that would undermine, 
contradict, or diminish the water rights confirmed in Decree C-125, 
United States of America, et al. v. Walker River Irrigation District, 
et al., United States District Court for the District of Nevada, in 
Equity, No. C-125, April 14, 1936, as amended on April 24, 1940, other 
than action which the Secretary determines is necessary and within the 
Secretary's authority as trustee for the Walker River Paiute Tribe.

SEC. 4. EXISTING AUTHORITY UNCHANGED.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the existing 
authority of the Secretary, the State of Nevada, or the State of 
California.
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