[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2650 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2650

   To modify certain water resources projects for the Apalachicola, 
    Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2007

 Mr. Boyd of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
         to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To modify certain water resources projects for the Apalachicola, 
    Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

    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 ``Restore the Apalachicola River 
Ecosystem Act''.

SEC. 2. APALACHICOLA, CHATTAHOOCHEE, AND FLINT RIVERS, GEORGIA, 
              FLORIDA, AND ALABAMA.

    (a) In General.--The project for navigation, Apalachicola, 
Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, 
authorized by section 2 of the Act of March 2, 1945 (59 Stat. 17), and 
modified by the first section of the Act of July 24, 1946 (60 Stat. 
635), and the project for the West Point Reservoir, Chattahoochee 
River, Georgia, authorized by section 203 of the Flood Control Act of 
1962 (76 Stat. 1182), are modified--
            (1) to deauthorize the 9-foot by 100-foot channel between 
        the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Apalachicola, Florida, to 
        Jim Woodruff Dam near Chattahoochee, Florida; and
            (2) to authorize the Secretary of the Army, in consultation 
        with the State of Florida, to develop the plan described in 
        subsection (b).
    (b) Plan for Restoration of Apalachicola River.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act and before commencement of any 
        restoration activity under subsection (a), the Secretary, in 
        coordination with the State of Florida, the United States Fish 
        and Wildlife Service, and the United States Geological Survey, 
        shall--
                    (A) develop a comprehensive plan to restore the 
                Apalachicola River basin; and
                    (B) submit to the Committee on Environment and 
                Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
                Representatives the plan developed under subparagraph 
                (A).
            (2) Required elements.--The plan under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) have as its sole goal the reestablishment of 
                the ecological integrity of the Apalachicola River 
                basin ecosystem (including restoration of bendways, 
                interconnecting waterways, sloughs, watersheds, 
                associated land areas, and fish and wildlife habitat);
                    (B) reestablish an ecosystem that supports and 
                sustains a balanced, integrated, adaptive community of 
                organisms having species composition, diversity, and 
                functional organization comparable to those of the 
                natural habitat of the Apalachicola River; and
                    (C) include a method of monitoring and assessing 
                the biota, habitats, and water quality of the 
                Apalachicola River basin for use in assessing 
                restoration activities and impacts of restoration 
                activities.
            (3) Funding.--The plan under paragraph (1) shall be 
        developed at a total cost of $4,000,000.
    (c) Public Outreach.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall engage in significant public outreach.
    (d) Relationship to Other Activities.--The Secretary shall ensure 
that activities conducted under this section do not interfere with 
water compact activities and negotiations being carried out as of the 
date of enactment of this Act with respect to the Apalachicola, 
Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.
    (e) Effect on Other Law.--Nothing in this section limits the 
authority of any agency under any other provision of law to require 
compliance with any applicable statutory or regulatory requirement.
                                 <all>