[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2882 Referred in House (RFH)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2882


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2000

                 Referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility 
 studies to augment water supplies for the Klamath Project, Oregon and 
                  California, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Klamath Basin Water Supply 
Enhancement Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT FEASIBILITY STUDIES.

    In order to help meet the growing water needs in the Klamath River 
basin, to improve water quality, to facilitate the efforts of the State 
of Oregon to resolve water rights claims in the Upper Klamath River 
Basin including facilitation of Klamath tribal water rights claims, and 
to reduce conflicts over water between the Upper and Lower Klamath 
Basins, the Secretary of the Interior (hereafter referred to as the 
``Secretary'') is authorized and directed, in consultation with 
affected state, local and tribal interests, stakeholder groups and the 
interested public, to engage in feasibility studies of the following 
proposals related to the Upper Klamath Basin and the Klamath Project, a 
federal reclamation project in Oregon and California:
            (1) Increasing the storage capacity, and/or the yield of 
        the Klamath Project facilities while improving water quality, 
        consistent with the protection of fish and wildlife.
            (2) The potential for development of additional Klamath 
        Basin groundwater supplies to improve water quantity and 
        quality, including the effect of such groundwater development 
        on non-project lands, groundwater and surface water supplies, 
        and fish and wildlife.
            (3) The potential for further innovations in the use of 
        existing water resources, or market-based approaches, in order 
        to meet growing water needs consistent with state water law.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL STUDIES.

    (a) Non-Project Lands.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement 
with the Oregon Department of Water Resources to fund studies relating 
to the water supply needs of non-project lands in the Upper Klamath 
Basin.
    (b) Surveys.--To further the purposes of this Act, the Secretary is 
authorized to compile information on native fish species in the Upper 
Klamath River Basin, upstream of Upper Klamath Lake. Wherever possible, 
the Secretary should use data already developed by Federal agencies and 
other stakeholders in the Basin.
    (c) Hydrologic Studies.--The Secretary is directed to complete 
ongoing hydrologic surveys in the Klamath River Basin currently being 
conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey.
    (d) Reporting Requirements.--The Secretary shall submit the 
findings of the studies conducted under section 2 and Section 3(a) of 
this Act to the Congress within 90 days of each study's completion, 
together with any recommendations for projects.

SEC. 4. LIMITATION.

    Activities funded under this Act shall not be considered a 
supplemental or additional benefit under the Act of June 17, 1902 (82 
Stat. 388) and all Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto.

SEC. 5. WATER RIGHTS

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to--
            (1) create, by implication or otherwise, any reserved water 
        right or other right to the use of water;
            (2) invalidate, preempt, or create any exception to State 
        water law or an interstate compact governing water;
            (3) alter the rights of any State to any appropriated share 
        of the waters of any body or surface or groundwater, whether 
        determined by past or future interstate compacts or by past or 
        future legislative or final judicial allocations;
            (4) preempt or modify any State or Federal law or 
        interstate compact dealing with water quality or disposal; or
            (5) confer upon any non-Federal entity the ability to 
        exercise any Federal right to the waters of any stream or to 
        any groundwater resources.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized such sums as necessary to carry out the 
purposes of this Act. Activities conducted under this Act shall be non-
reimbursable and nonreturnable.

            Passed the Senate October 13 (legislative day, September 
      22), 2000.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.