    [Senate Hearing 118-405]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-405

                              PENDING LEGISLATION
    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                                SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                                WATER AND POWER

                                     OF THE

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                       on

                   S. 2927             S. 4576                S. 5011
                   S. 4016             S. 4996                S. 5012
                   S. 4242/H.R. 4385   S. 4999                S. 5013
                   S. 4245/H.R. 5770   S. 5000                S. 5014
                   S. 4347             S. 5005                H.R. 6062
                   S. 4458

                                   __________

                               SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

                                   __________

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                           Printed for the use of the
                   Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                    __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    56-728                       WASHINGTON : 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

                    JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia, Chairman
    RON WYDEN, Oregon                    JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
    MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             MIKE LEE, Utah
    MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico          STEVE DAINES, Montana
    MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii              LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
    ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine            JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
    CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada       BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana
    JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado       CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
    ALEX PADILLA, California             JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
                                     ------

                        Subcommittee on Water and Power

                                RON WYDEN, Chair

    BERNARD SANDERS                      JAMES E. RISCH
    CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO               MIKE LEE
    JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER                 JOHN HOEVEN
    ALEX PADILLA                         BILL CASSIDY

                          Renae Black, Staff Director
                          Sam E. Fowler, Chief Counsel
                  Melanie Thornton, Professional Staff Member
                  Justin J. Memmott, Republican Staff Director
               Patrick J. McCormick III, Republican Chief Counsel
                      Jack Holt, Republican Junior Counsel
            John Tanner, Republican Deputy Staff Director for Lands

                               C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------

                               OPENING STATEMENTS

                                                                       Page
    Wyden, Hon. Ron, Subcommittee Chair and a U.S. Senator from
      Oregon.........................................................     1
    Risch, Hon. James E., Subcommittee Ranking Member and a U.S.
      Senator from Idaho.............................................    17
    Hickenlooper, Hon. John W., a U.S. Senator from Colorado.........    17
    Padilla, Hon. Alex, a U.S. Senator from California...............    18

                                   WITNESSES
                                    Panel I

    Bennet, Hon. Michael F., a U.S. Senator from Colorado............    19
    Fischer, Hon Deb, a U.S. Senator from Nebraska...................    26

                                    Panel II

    Touton, Hon. Camille C., Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation,
      U.S. Department of the Interior................................    27

              ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED

    Arizona Department of Water Resources:
        Letter for the Record........................................    78
    Arizona Power Authority:
        Letter for the Record........................................    79
    Bennet, Hon. Michael F.:
        Opening Statement............................................    19
    Colorado Department of Natural Resources:
        Letter for the Record........................................    22
    Colorado River Commission of Nevada et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................   106
    Delta Waterfowl et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................    61
    Douglas County (CO) Board of Commissioners:
        Letter for the Record re S. 4576.............................    83
        Letter for the Record re S. 5014.............................    84
    Family Farm Alliance:
        Statement for the Record.....................................    85
    Fischer, Hon. Deb:
        Opening Statement............................................    26
    Hickenlooper, Hon. John W.:
        Opening Statement............................................    17
    Idaho Water Resource Board:
        Letter for the Record........................................   115
    Jennings, Su'a Alexander Eli:
        Statement for the Record.....................................    94
    Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation:
        Letter for the Record........................................    63
    Mauga, Hon. Lemanu P.S.:
        Statement for the Record with attachment.....................     3
    Metropolitan Water District of Southern California:
        Letter for the Record re S. 4016.............................   100
        Letter for the Record re S. 5012.............................   101
    Mohave County (AZ) Water Authority:
        Letter for the Record........................................   102
    Mohave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District:
        Letter for the Record........................................   104
    National Audubon Society et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................    80
    North Dakota Department of Water Resources et al.:
        Letter for the Record........................................    65
    Padilla, Hon. Alex:
        Opening Statement............................................    18
        Photograph of toy bird: ``Yazmin, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo''.    58
    Radewagen, Hon. Aumua Amata:
        Statement for the Record.....................................   108
        White paper entitled ``H.R. 6062, American Samoa
          Constitutional Reform Bill''...............................   110
    Risch, Hon. James E.:
        Opening Statement............................................    17
    Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Lake Traverse Reservation:
        Letter for the Record........................................    69
    Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District:
        Statement for the Record.....................................    24
    Spirit Lake Tribe:
        Letter for the Record........................................    71
    Standing Rock Sioux Tribe:
        Letter for the Record........................................    72
    Touton, Hon. Camille C.:
        Opening Statement............................................    27
        Written Testimony............................................    30
    Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians:
        Letter for the Record........................................    74
    U.S. Department of the Interior:
        Statement for the Record on H.R. 6062........................   118
    U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management:
        Statement of the Record on S. 4999...........................   119
    U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey:
        Statement for the Record on S. 4245..........................   121
    Wyden, Hon. Ron:
        Opening Statement............................................     1

    ----------
    The text for each of the bills addressed in this hearing can be found
    on the Committee's website at: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/
    2024/9/subcommittee-on-water-and-power-hearing-to-receive-testimony-on-
    pending-legislation

                              PENDING LEGISLATION

                                  ----------

                         WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

                                   U.S. Senate,
                       Subcommittee on Water and Power,
                     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m. in
    Room SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Ron Wyden,
    Chair of the Subcommittee, presiding.

                 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RON WYDEN,
                        U.S. SENATOR FROM OREGON

        Senator Wyden. The Subcommittee will come to order.
        Our Subcommittee meets today to receive testimony on
    western water legislation relating to the current climate-
    driven drought, as well as an important bill regarding American
    Samoa. Before we get to today's business, I want to repeat that
    the delay in securing clean drinking water for many rural and
    tribal communities is unacceptable. A year ago, this
    Subcommittee held a hearing in coordination with several other
    committees about the desperate need to address the drinking
    water access crisis. Reclamation is under the Committee's
    jurisdiction and has a key role in fixing this serious and
    ongoing problem. The Bureau of Reclamation, along with the rest
    of the Federal Government, is not moving fast enough to seek
    critical resources needed to get to the hard-hit communities.
    These communities have enough to worry about with the current
    situation without having to use their limited capacity to jump
    through a wave of hoops for drinking water that shouldn't be
    one of them.
        The Committee is not alone in recognizing this problem. The
    bipartisan Streamlining Federal Grants Act, authored by
    Senators Peters and Cornyn, could help, but it's time to use
    existing water resources to help communities now. So, the point
    of this is, we may need the benefits of additional legislation,
    but all the foot dragging on using existing authorities is
    unacceptable. And I will come back to the issue of improving
    water access later in the hearing when we get to questions for
    our Reclamation witness, Commissioner Touton, about the
    progress the agency has made in addressing these challenges to
    date and what can be done to accelerate these efforts.
        Let me wrap up my comments with respect to drought and
    several pieces of legislation on the calendar today. We are
    going to look at a number of issues facing the Bureau of
    Reclamation. Some of the bills on today's agenda promote
    drought resiliency. The bills on today's agenda also aim to
    improve infrastructure and management to improve the safety,
    reliability, efficiency, and conservation of surface,
    groundwater, and natural storage. The hearing provides an
    opportunity to look at 15 bills as proposed solutions of the
    climate-driven drought crisis that plagues the West.
        In addition, the Committee will consider H.R. 6062,
    legislation to restore the ability of the people of American
    Samoa to quickly approve and implement amendments to their
    territorial constitution. This is, in my view, a common-sense
    bill that is going to eliminate federal red tape for a
    territory to do what any state can already do on its own. We
    have Representative Radewagen in the house today, the House
    delegate from American Samoa, who authored this legislation, in
    attendance to emphasize its importance, and I want to commend
    the Representative for her good work. Furthermore, I have
    written testimony from Governor Mauga in support of the
    legislation that I would ask be entered into the record. I ask
    unanimous consent for it to be entered into the record at this
    point.
        [Letter of support from Governor Mauga of American Samoa in
    support of H.R. 6062 follows:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Wyden. In a moment, other members of this Committee
    are going to have an opportunity to make opening remarks. The
    legislation on the agenda today joins other important
    legislation, including three of my bills--the Water for
    Conservation and Farming Act, the Watershed Results Act, and
    the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act that the
    Committee considered earlier this Congress. So, I look forward
    to continuing our work here.
        Senator Risch and I have worked in a bipartisan way on
    these sorts of natural resources issues for many years, and I
    appreciate his cooperation, and we are going to work to advance
    the legislation that demonstrates how serious we are about
    tackling these issues.
        Senator Risch.

      OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES E. RISCH, U.S. SENATOR FROM
                                 IDAHO

        Senator Risch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for
    holding this hearing today. Obviously, water is an incredibly
    important issue in the western states. Our friends east of the
    Mississippi don't have a really good grasp of how important
    water is to us out west. And as a result of that, we do spend
    an inordinate amount of time on it, but it is very important to
    do that. Western water issues are localized, and they are
    nuanced, and one-size-fits-all models really don't work. The
    precious time and resources going to water supply and
    management efforts, solutions to problems, need to be tailored
    by the people who truly understand the needs on the ground with
    support from federal partners, if and only if their involvement
    is appropriate.
        Idaho is a good example of state leadership in water
    management. I have one bill on this agenda that is very nuanced
    in a particular area, and I am glad you have that on. I am also
    glad to see the attention spent to American Samoa. On the
    Foreign Relations Committee, we know that what happens in the
    Pacific is important to America. We are trying to spend more
    and more time focusing on the Pacific because it is an
    important region, and China has already spent a lot of time and
    a lot of focus there. So I am glad we are spending this time
    there.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Wyden. Well said, colleague.
        And at this point, we are going to recognize those on the
    dais, and then we will go to our colleagues in the house.
        Let's see, Senator Hickenlooper.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO

        Senator Hickenlooper. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you
    for today's hearing and for including several bills that we are
    proud to champion. I also appreciate Commissioner Touton for
    joining us today and for her unwavering commitment to making
    Colorado and the entire West--to help us make the most of water
    supplies in the shortages we face as a result of this long-term
    drought. Her commitment to work with all parties to use our
    experience and science to deal with this uncertain future in
    the best possible way is remarkable. And that's what the bills
    we have on the docket today would do. I mean, in the West,
    water really is life, and we have no crystal ball, but we have
    to be ready for whatever comes.
        We have one bill to reauthorize the Upper Colorado River
    Basin System Conservation Pilot Program, which I am proud to
    co-lead with Senator Barrasso. And this bill helps the Upper
    Basin states like Colorado and Wyoming to continue to
    investigate the best ways to take on voluntary water
    conservation measures between now and 2026. As the Commissioner
    knows, in 2026, that is when our current plans for managing the
    Colorado River expire. Understanding now what works best for
    water conservation in the Upper Basin can help us handle a
    drier future.
        I am also proud to join my colleague, Senator Michael
    Bennet, on a bill to help ensure the affordability of the
    Arkansas Valley Conduit, a critical infrastructure project in
    southeastern Colorado that he has been working on for more than
    a decade. These communities have been working on--they have
    been waiting 60 years to get clean, reliable water. We are
    committed to getting that done.
        I have also worked with Senator Lummis and with you,
    Senator Wyden, on legislation that would continue the good work
    that the Department of the Interior is already doing on water.
    Our bill reauthorizes the Bureau's authorities under the
    Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act, as well as key
    DOI programs for streamgage and groundwater monitoring.
        And then lastly, we are also really looking forward to
    diving in on the Water Project Navigators Act that Senator
    Moran and I just introduced. And this would create a new
    Reclamation program to help communities--rural communities,
    especially--and tribes build up on their own internal capacity
    to develop projects that can benefit both water supply and the
    environment. We will dig deeper on each of these during my time
    with questions, but for now, thank you again for the hearing.
        Senator Wyden. Let us recognize that 100 percent of
    Colorado Senators are in the house.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Wyden. Senator Padilla, welcome.

                OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ALEX PADILLA,
                      U.S. SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA

        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ranking
    Member Risch for convening this important Subcommittee hearing
    on water legislation. Also, I want to extend my personal
    gratitude to Commissioner Touton, not just for her testimony
    today, but for all of the work that she has done to help manage
    the complex water issues facing California and the West. I am
    happy to discuss the three water related bills of mine that are
    on the agenda, but as the West continues to adapt to the
    climate crisis and historic drought, it is more important than
    ever to ensure that the Federal Government is meeting these
    challenges with more thoughtful, innovative, and comprehensive
    strategies. So, my bills are intended to assist the Department
    and the Bureau to do just that.
        The first of my bills, the Sacramento River Act, would
    authorize Interior to set up federal leadership committees to
    improve federal coordination of ecosystem restoration projects.
    This increased coordination would particularly help in the
    Sacramento Valley, where a coalition known as the Floodplain
    Forward Coalition is working to develop and implement nature-
    based solutions to provide benefits for the environment,
    migratory birds, and fish in our farms, towns, and cities.
    Another provision of the bill would allow the Bureau of
    Reclamation water users to retain revenues from the sale of
    surplus water that happens from time to time--surplus water.
    These proceeds would go to fund drought resiliency and dam
    safety activities. This change would also serve to incentivize
    water utilities to generate surplus water that they can to
    drink in times of drought that would relieve the water
    shortages and improve water drought resiliency and dam safety.
        The second bill will simply increase the authorization of
    funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, which
    supports one of the most productive agricultural regions in the
    country while also creating a healthy living river for Chinook
    salmon. Increasing the cap of the program will enable the
    Bureau and the State of California and other key partners to
    advance projects necessary to the continued success of the
    program. And in particular, I want to thank Senator Hoeven for
    co-sponsoring this bill with me.
        The third and final bill would establish an interest-
    bearing account for the non-federal contributions to the Lower
    Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. This program
    is an underrated success story that has been hugely beneficial
    in stocking thousands of beta fish and increasing the numbers
    of breeding migratory birds. However, a lack of reinvestment
    due to the fact that the account is not able to collect
    interest diminishes the value of the program. This bill would
    correct that.
        I believe these three straightforward bills would provide
    the Federal Government with additional tools to bolster drought
    resiliency, improve water supply reliability, and help restore
    our imperiled ecosystems across California and the West, and I
    want to thank you, Mr. Chair, for your generous consideration
    of these items.
        Senator Wyden. Thank you, Senator Padilla.
        Here is what we will do at this point. We will recognize
    Senator Bennet. Then, we will recognize Senator Fischer, and we
    will give you the opportunity to be excused after your remarks.
    Then, we will have Commissioner Touton come on up.
        Senator Bennet, welcome.

             OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL F. BENNET,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO

        Senator Bennet. Thank you, Chairman Wyden. It's great to be
    here with my neighbor, Senator Fischer, and good to be with you
    and Ranking Member Risch. Thank you very much for holding this
    hearing, the members of the Subcommittee and especially my
    colleague, John Hickenlooper from Colorado, to talk in part
    about a bill we introduced yesterday called the Finish the
    Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. And I am hopeful that the
    influence that the Senator from Colorado has on this Committee
    will translate into broad bipartisan support----
        Senator Wyden. It always translates.
        Senator Bennet [continuing]. For this bill. Thank you.
        And I also would like to recognize and thank the Honorable
    Camille Touton, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation,
    who is here today, also as a witness. As both Senator Padilla
    and Senator Hickenlooper have said, she has been a champion--
    champion--in our shared fight between the Upper Basin and the
    Lower Basin to deliver clean water throughout the region, and I
    am grateful for her steadfast leadership on that issue and for
    being able to put up with all of us.
        I want to just spend a minute on why this bill matters so
    much to farmers and ranchers in southeastern Colorado. By the
    way, I share Senator Risch's views about how we should think
    about the water projects that we have got and why this deserves
    the Committee's bipartisan support.
        Over 60 years ago, President Kennedy came to Pueblo and
    promised to build the Arkansas Valley Conduit. The Arkansas
    Valley Conduit is the last component of the Fryingpan-Arkansas
    Project, a federal water diversion and storage project in the
    Lower Arkansas Valley, which Congress approved in 1962. When
    finally constructed, after all these decades later, the conduit
    will deliver, for the first time, clean drinking water from the
    Pueblo Reservoir to farmers and ranchers and rural communities
    in the Arkansas River Valley. Because of federal investment and
    the strong support of Commissioner Touton, the Arkansas Valley
    Conduit finally broke ground after 60 years, just in the last
    year or so. These rural communities currently rely upon
    groundwater, and many of them are facing water contamination
    from naturally occurring radioactive elements. The conduit will
    deliver water for some communities that have fewer than a
    thousand residents, who primarily use the water for their farms
    and ranches.
        Since 2019, the total project cost estimates have nearly
    doubled. As labor and material costs go up, the project slips
    further and further behind on completion. These rural
    communities are already on the hook, as they should be, for a
    significant cost share, and will struggle to repay the Federal
    Government as costs continue to rise. It is important to
    relieve the burden of interest payments so these underserved
    communities can make good on their part of the cost-sharing
    agreement that is part of this proposal.
        Since I came to the Senate, as Senator Hickenlooper said, I
    have fought for the federal funding that rural Colorado needs
    to complete this project, alongside with both Senator Gardner
    before him, and Senator Hickenlooper since he arrived in the
    Senate. It has been a bipartisan effort all the way along that
    included Representatives Buck and Tipton from the House of
    Representatives. To finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act will
    eliminate interest payments on all non-federal cost-share funds
    that extend the repayment period from 50 to 100 years to ensure
    that these rural communities can finish this project once and
    for all and pay back the Federal Government. Farmers and
    ranchers in southeastern Colorado need Congress's help to get
    this project across the finish line and access, for the first
    time, clean, safe water for their families, for their crops,
    and for their livestock.
        I have come with letters and testimony from the State of
    Colorado and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy
    District, all supporting the bill. Mr. Chairman, I would ask
    unanimous consent that these letters be entered into the
    hearing record.
        Senator Wyden. Without objection, so ordered.
        [Letters of support for Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit
    Act follow:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Bennet. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I hope this common-sense bill will earn a strong bipartisan
    vote in this Committee at the end of the day and find its way
    to the floor. Thank you very much for your time and thank you,
    Senator Fischer for your indulgence.
        Senator Wyden. Thank you, Senator Bennet.
        Senator Fischer, welcome.

                OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DEB FISCHER,
                       U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA

        Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,
    Ranking Member Risch for holding this hearing today and
    including my legislation, S. 4347, the Swanson and Hugh Butler
    Reservoirs Land Conveyances Act, on the agenda. I, too, would
    like to thank the Commissioner for working so well with my
    office on this legislation and also with my local stakeholders
    in these affected counties.
        I have worked alongside Hitchcock and Frontier County
    Commissioners, the concessionaires, impacted community members,
    and the Bureau of Reclamation on this legislation to allow 77.2
    acres of land around the Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs to
    be conveyed at fair market value to the counties. Transferring
    this land to the local counties will chart a better path for
    the local community and also to the Federal Government. This
    will allow community members to continue to enjoy the
    reservoirs and preserve numerous small businesses that operate
    in that area. Since introducing the legislation, I have heard
    from over 1,000 constituents and have received numerous letters
    of support from local businesses. Action on this legislation is
    urgent, as the Bureau of Reclamation's extended concession
    contracts expire in February 2025 and some community members
    face being displaced due to the Bureau's plan to end private,
    exclusive use at the reservoir. Hitchcock and Frontier counties
    are committed to ensuring continued public access to the
    reservoirs and providing effective management that is
    responsive to our local communities.
        A number of the county commissioners, community members,
    and concessionaires traveled from Nebraska to be here today, a
    testament to the importance of getting this legislation signed
    into law and their commitment to providing effective management
    of the land. I am also glad the entire Nebraska Congressional
    delegation, as well as Members of Congress from Kansas, have
    joined me on this legislation. Just yesterday, the House
    Natural Resources Committee also held a hearing on companion
    legislation. I strongly support the full Committee taking up
    and passing S. 4347, the Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoir
    Conveyance Act, swiftly so that this legislation can become law
    this year. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get
    this legislation signed into law.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Wyden. Thank you, Senator Fischer. We will be
    working with you, and I like your underlying optimism that it
    should be done this year.
        Senator Fischer. I know you can do it, sir. Thank you.
        Senator Wyden. There's no question that the people up here
    want to do it this year.
        Okay, we will excuse you at this time.
        We welcome you, Commissioner Touton. Thank you for your
    patience. And Commissioner, I believe what we decided that made
    sense all around is, we will recognize you for your opening
    remarks and then we will have some questions at that point,
    okay?
        Welcome.
        Thank you also for being responsive to us.
        Ms. Touton. Absolutely.
        Senator Wyden. Please go ahead.

    OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. CAMILLE C. TOUTON, COMMISSIONER, U.S.
           DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

        Ms. Touton. Good afternoon, Chair Wyden, Ranking Member
    Risch, and members of the Subcommittee. I am Camille Calimlim
    Touton, the Commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation. Thank
    you for the opportunity to update you on activities and provide
    the Administration's views on the legislation before you today.
        Reclamation's mission is rooted in delivering water and
    producing hydropower. The legislation today helps to provide us
    with tools that allow us to meet our mission, serve the
    American West, and ensure that communities have sustainable
    water supplies today and into the future. Key to that mission
    is our ongoing work to address the drought in the Colorado
    River Basin. To assist Reclamation in those efforts, the
    Administration has invested more than $4.2 billion through
    President Biden's Investing in America Agenda across 566
    projects in seven Colorado River Basin states that increase
    water storage, increase water recycling and desalination,
    improve system efficiency, and repair aging infrastructure.
    Several of the bills provide us with additional tools to be
    successful on the Colorado River.
        Senator Sinema's Help Hoover Dam Act and Senator Padilla's
    Multi-Species Conservation Program bill offer practical
    solutions to better use existing resources. The Help Hoover Act
    allows Reclamation to access unused funds, totaling
    approximately $48 million collected since 2000, to support
    ongoing operations and maintenance of critical infrastructure.
    Over the next five years, current estimates are that Hoover Dam
    will require $110 million in major plant investment over and
    above routine operation and maintenance. S. 4016 allows funding
    that has already been collected to be used to stabilize future
    hydropower rates without deferring the important major plant
    investments. The MSCP Amendment Act authorizes the
    establishment of an interest-bearing account for over $70
    million of already received funds and will reduce the need for
    future federal appropriations to support balancing the needs of
    water and power users and the ecosystem. The habitat created by
    this program is showing great success for this species.
        Senator Lee's bill addresses the implementation of
    Reclamation's action to protect the humpback chub and other
    native species through the Grand Canyon. This will require the
    Western Area Power Administration to use funds from the Basin
    Fund to replace power that would have otherwise been generated.
    We appreciate Senator Lee's commitment to this issue and look
    forward to continuing to work together on a sustainable path.
        We also want to highlight that the initial results of this
    year's long-term experimental management plan operations have
    been successful. Senator Hickenlooper's System Conservation
    Extension Act provides Reclamation with two additional years to
    our efforts that have demonstrated that voluntary compensated
    water conservation projects can conserve water for the Colorado
    River system to mitigate the impacts of drought. Since 2015, we
    have conserved more than 148,000 acre-feet, and this
    legislation provides the Upper Basin with the authority to
    continue these activities. The Department supports system
    conservation program activities in the Colorado River Basin and
    recommends that such activities should be continued.
        In California, in the Central Valley Project, Senator
    Padilla's San Joaquin River Restoration Program Reauthorization
    Act would increase the authorization of appropriations from
    $250 million to $750 million for this important program. The
    San Joaquin River Restoration Program is an illustration on how
    we can continue to manage water resources throughout the state
    in an environmentally sound manner while maintaining a water
    supply. Reclamation supports the goals of this legislation, as
    additional funding, along with continued matching funding from
    the State of California, is necessary to meet the goals of the
    program. The legislation also allows us to continue our work in
    the Valley and implementing a south-of-delta drought plan.
        Senator Padilla's Sacramento River Act has two separate and
    broad-ranging goals that would be applicable to Reclamation
    projects across the West. Given the complexity of the projects,
    Reclamation would like to better understand the impacts of this
    legislation west-wide and work to ensure the authorities are
    implementable, effective, and would achieve intended goals.
        Access to clean drinking water is critically important to
    sustaining life and livelihoods. Reclamation is improving
    access to drinking water through more than $800 million
    allocated to the Rural Water Program, $290 million for the
    Arkansas Valley Conduit through the Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Law, and $82 million for domestic water supply projects for the
    WaterSMART program over the past few years. And to further this
    work, Senator Hoeven's Dakota Water Resources Act Amendments of
    2024 Senator Bennet's Arkansas Valley Conduit legislation, and
    Senator Rounds's Rural Water Supply Program Reauthorization,
    all demonstrate a commitment to providing safe, reliable
    resources of drinking water to all Americans. We are pleased to
    support the goals of these three bills.
        Senator Lujan's WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act responds
    to tribes, state, and local stakeholders to reduce the barriers
    and provide assistance for communities to better access
    Reclamation's programs. These programs are proven and
    successful, with 958 projects, with over $1.4 billion in
    WaterSMART funding since January 2021. Senator Hickenlooper and
    Senator Lummis's Drought Preparedness Act would extend the
    authorities set to expire at the end of 2024. We are happy to
    support these bills.
        Senator Fischer's Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoir Land
    Conveyance bills respond to local partners' interests in
    managing public lands for recreation purposes, and Senator
    Hickenlooper's Water Project Navigator Act seeks to expand the
    pool of potential applicants to successful Reclamation programs
    that work diligently to support tribal and disadvantaged
    communities.
        Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee, and
    professional staff, thank you for the opportunity to be here
    today and for the trust that you have placed in the Bureau of
    Reclamation. We do not take that trust for granted. We
    recognize that it is earned and we are proud of our ability to
    have met our mission in a challenging time in this organization
    and more. It is a privilege to serve as the Commissioner of
    Reclamation. I am happy to answer your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Touton follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Wyden. Thank you, Commissioner, and as I say, thank
    you for always being willing to sit with us and go through
    this.
        As you have heard me say, not just today, but in the past,
    what I hear from tribes and rural communities is, they just
    feel that they are engulfed in red tape and bureaucracy, and
    there are all these processes in terms of deciding who is this
    and who is that, and I get all that because there has to be
    accountability and transparency. I get all that. But tell me
    what can be done to fast-track the remaining money, in effect,
    from the IRA to these communities, because they just come to
    me, and I will let my colleagues speak for themselves. And I
    know that nobody gets up in the morning in Washington, DC, at
    your agency--especially not you--and says, hey, I want to be
    rotten to all these little communities in the West. Quite the
    opposite. I know you are very dedicated to them. We still have
    the reality that they just feel like they are just engulfed
    almost in all this red tape and delay and the hoops to try to
    get considered.
        I mean, is it possible, for example, to get the remaining
    money out in 90 days? I mean, what can be done to actually make
    sure this is sped up?
        Ms. Touton. Senator, I agree with you that process should
    not stand in the way of access to clean water. There are
    several things that we have done since we last spoke. First, we
    created a notice of funding opportunity under WaterSMART
    specifically designated for disadvantaged communities and
    tribes. That was $88 million. As part of this process, too,
    what we have allowed is the ability that if you aren't
    successful, to reach out to us to do a hotwash so we can tell
    you where in your application you can improve, and so that when
    we see people do that with us, they have better success rates
    moving forward.
        I also hear you in saying we need to work with our partners
    in other agencies. One thing we did is sign an MOU with the
    Indian Health Service to partner with them on their domestic
    water supply for tribes and bring our engineering technical
    capabilities and use our funds that you all gave us as
    effectively as possible. We are also working with USDA on our
    ability to partner on more--water-thrifty crops is what we are
    calling it. We can always do more, but part of it is the
    ability for these constituents and our partners to know what we
    are doing. So, tomorrow we will be holding our 13th Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law stakeholder meeting. That is virtual, but we
    have also offered to go state by state, water district by water
    district, so we can walk through these programs. The people
    that work for us are in the communities we serve, and we will
    always be willing to do more, Senator, and we are happy to
    learn how we can do that.
        Senator Wyden. It sounds plenty constructive to me, and I
    appreciate that. Can we look at a target date in getting this
    money out in 90 days?
        Ms. Touton. I will work with you on that.
        Senator Wyden. Okay.
        Ms. Touton. I will say that----
        Senator Wyden. Fair enough.
        Ms. Touton. Thank you.
        Senator Wyden. Fair enough. I will quit while I am ahead.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Wyden. Commissioner, one last question. I know my
    colleagues have questions as well. We have asked you some
    questions about the Klamath Basin, which, as you know, has a
    lot of history, particularly in terms of droughts. And you
    provided testimony on our Klamath Power and Facilities
    Agreement Support Act. As you know, Senator Merkley and I feel
    very strongly about that, and we have been working closely with
    you on it. Can you update us on your efforts to try to talk
    about the projects for the Klamath Basin that are coming out?
        Ms. Touton. Thank you for that, Senator. There is not a
    week that we don't talk about the Klamath project in our
    office.
        Senator Wyden. Good.
        Ms. Touton. So, when we started this water year, we had a
    pretty decent allocation--a little over a quarter million acre-
    feet for the project. It got hot in July. We are working
    through those deliveries for the rest of the year. But as part
    of that, we were able to provide $8.5 million to the Drought
    Relief Assistance Act legislation that you helped for us to
    have, as well as $5 million for technical assistance to tribes.
    But what we need to be able to talk about is not year-by-year.
    How do we talk about longer into the future? And so, with the
    resources that you provided us that we will expeditiously
    allocate, part of that conversation is how we deploy those in
    the Klamath Basin for longer-term solutions.
        Senator Wyden. Good.
        Senator Cortez Masto.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Commissioner, it's great to see you.
        Ms. Touton. It's nice to see you too, Senator.
        Senator Cortez Masto. And I have to say thank you for all
    the great work that you are doing, particularly in Nevada
    around the water issues. I also support three of the bills that
    are before us--the WaterSMART Access, the Help Hoover Dam Act,
    and the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation
    Program. Thank you for supporting those bills.
        My question is going to be similar to what is happening
    along the Colorado River, and will focus on a little bit of
    that. As you well know, the Colorado River operating guidelines
    expire at the end of 2026. So, a couple of things: one, can you
    provide us with an update on the status of the negotiations
    around those guidelines? And then also, if you would follow
    that with next steps will you take if the states don't find
    some sort of consensus around this time frame?
        Ms. Touton. Thank you for that question, Senator.
        First, I need to remind us where we were two years ago.
    Lake Mead hit the lowest level since filling in 1937. Today,
    because of the leadership of this Committee and our ability to
    deploy resources, we are 20 feet higher at Lake Mead, 40 feet
    higher at Glen Canyon Dam, and we have used less water.
    Southern Nevada, especially Las Vegas, is an example of that,
    where they have used 187,000 acre-feet in 2023 of consumptive
    use of their 300,000 acre-foot allocation. So, in the two-
    years, we have shown a proof-of-concept that we can save a
    rainy day, we can conserve water, and we can still have vibrant
    communities.
        Moving forward, we need an operating plan in place in less
    than two years. I am confident in the conversations that we are
    having with the Basin states and the tribes. We have a federal
    tribes meeting on Friday. And they are all very motivated about
    the timeline, knowing that we need an operating plan by August
    2026 to be in place by January 2027. So people are at the
    table. We are moving forward. And I will keep moving them
    forward with your support.
        Senator Cortez Masto. And you have it.
        So, let me just say this, because I know this is an ongoing
    negotiation and I appreciate that. And I appreciate everybody
    that's at the table and I think for purposes of several of the
    Senators that continue to monitor this and what is happening,
    we are hopeful that that continues as well. And I have to give
    credit to my colleague, Senator Hickenlooper. He really has
    been the one to kind of bring all of the Senators together in
    the Basin states to continue to focus on this issue. So, I
    thank you, because it's so important.
        One final thing--let me ask you, in the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure bill, Susie Lee and I fought for additional
    funding to support a large-scale water recycling program. Susie
    Lee is the Congresswoman from Nevada. And this really was
    focused on how we can get California and Nevada to do some
    large-scale recycling. Can you give us an update on where we
    are with that project?
        Ms. Touton. Thank you for that authorization. We put it to
    work. We were able to announce $189 million for five projects--
    four in California and one in Utah--earlier this spring. One
    being the Pure Water project in Southern California, which is a
    partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of California,
    the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Central Arizona
    Project. And we look forward to obligating the remainder of
    that funding.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you.
        And the importance of those projects can't be
    underestimated. It really is bringing essential water and
    keeping water in the Colorado Basin, and it is bringing
    essential water to households in Nevada and California and
    other areas. Conservation is part of the--is the key to some of
    addressing the drought----
        Ms. Touton. Absolutely.
        Senator Cortez Masto [continuing]. That we need in the
    water uses for the future.
        Ms. Touton. That Pure Water project is enough water for
    half a million homes annually.
        Senator Cortez Masto. Yes, thank you.
        Commissioner, thank you for being here.
        Ms. Touton. Thank you.
        Senator Wyden. The praise is flowing fast and furious for
    Senator Hickenlooper, so please proceed. Senator Hoeven, to his
    undying thoughtfulness, said you and Senator Padilla will go
    next and then he will come.
        Senator Hickenlooper. Is there no limit to grace?
        Senator Hoeven. I owe Hickenlooper anyway.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hoeven. This doesn't even come close.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hickenlooper. You are going to start rumors.
        Senator Wyden. Now, if we start, I will go collecting on
    several things over the years too.
        Senator Hickenlooper.
        Senator Hickenlooper. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you,
    Camille--Commissioner Touton.
        Your commitment and dedication to all these issues with so
    much going on in such a time of incredible change really is
    remarkable, and don't think for a moment that we don't all
    appreciate it. We have seen more than two decades of pretty
    continuous drought on the Colorado River. And you have
    already--the several bills I am going to mention here, you have
    already enthusiastically embraced. So I won't be too prying or
    demanding. We worked with Senator Barrasso and then Senators
    Lummis and Romney and Bennet on the System Conservation Pilot,
    to extend that. Obviously, we have learned lessons from the
    past couple of years on that. Can you talk a little bit about
    those lessons, or steps you want to make sure we see?
        Ms. Touton. Absolutely. First, I want to commend my
    partners with the Upper Colorado River Commission--the four
    commissioners in the Upper Basin--for the leadership in
    implementing this program. Over the past two years, we have
    been able to show a proof of concept of what is possible today
    so that it could be a practice that we can continue into the
    future. And so, just being able to show what can be and is
    possible is value enough to be able to say we can do this into
    the future----
        Senator Hickenlooper. Yes, absolutely.
        Ms. Touton [continuing]. And in a voluntary way, is what is
    important.
        Senator Hickenlooper. Scary thought.
        Senator Bennet already talked at some length about the
    Arkansas Valley Conduit, the AVC program that President Kennedy
    first promised. People in the Arkansas Valley have been waiting
    for over 60 years to get clean water. And it's 50,000 people
    spread over about 35 miles of length of the Arkansas where they
    are, once we get this done, who are going to have fresh water
    for the first time, really, in their lives, for many of them.
    The wells have been polluted for a long time, so many of them
    are trucking water in. You and your team have been great
    working on this and I guess I just want to make sure to
    reiterate on the record your commitment to keep working with us
    on this, to make sure that we can continue to make the progress
    we have made.
        Ms. Touton. I was so happy to join you and Senator Bennet
    at the groundbreaking. Since then, we are nearing completion on
    Boone Reach 1. We have started Boone Reach 2. I know we like
    shovel events, but I am committed to a ribbon-cutting when we
    complete this.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hickenlooper. That's the spirit.
        You know, Senator Moran and I worked on this Water Project
    Navigators Act, and I wasn't crazy about the name because it
    makes it sound like we're going to dredge, you know, going to
    have navigable Platte River and Colorado River for great
    lengths. It's really about making sure that communities can
    navigate through the bureaucracy, make their applications to
    WaterSMART. Many of the smaller communities and tribes--the
    rural communities--haven't had that access. And I think Senator
    Moran and I are both very excited about being able to provide
    on-the-ground capacity for benefits for water in the
    communities, for the economy, and for the environment. And you
    obviously supported that. Do you see any problems coming down
    the road for that?
        Ms. Touton. I think what we need to work through in the
    conversation with the Chairman and others is, first, let us
    show you what we can do, and I think those tools are there. And
    then, have the conversation with you on the Navigators Act on
    how we can use these additional tools----
        Senator Hickenlooper. Right.
        Ms. Touton [continuing]. To complement each other. The
    ability to have more people access these resources is a good
    one.
        Senator Hickenlooper. Right.
        Ms. Touton. And I look forward to working with you on that.
        Senator Hickenlooper. So you are suggesting that we work
    together. That's kind of a strange concept. Just kidding. Thank
    you. I appreciate that.
        And then last, the work that Senator Lummis and Senator
    Wyden have done to reauthorize their Reclamation States
    Emergency Drought Relief Act, as well as the programs at U.S.
    Geological Survey, and you know, stream flow, groundwater
    monitoring. And I realize that your agency isn't in control of
    these networks. So, can you speak to the value of making sure
    we get consistent water data for your reservoirs and your
    programs?
        Ms. Touton. Real-time data and data allows for better-
    informed decisions. My favorite gauge is the Lees Ferry gauge,
    since you are asking.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Hickenlooper. I won't go any further.
        Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Ms. Touton. Good to see you, Senator. Thank you.
        Senator Wyden. Thank you, Senator.
        Senator Padilla.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Continuing the chorus of praise for Commissioner Touton and
    her leadership with all the Colorado River states--much, much
    appreciated. Keep us posted, as you do so well, and however we
    can continue to support your efforts and events, that
    collaboration and thoughtfulness.
        Speaking of the Colorado River, one specific item relative
    to the legislation I previewed earlier in my remarks--just
    asking if you can spend a minute talking about the importance
    of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program,
    and specifically, how the ability to collect interest on these
    funds for the program would increase the money available to do
    more of the good work?
        Ms. Touton. Thank you, Senator. The Multi-Species Habitat
    Conservation Plan is important in that it allows us compliance
    for our water power deliveries, and it helps us to enhance the
    ecosystem. That money is already sitting there, so we should
    put it to work. And our ability to put that money to work means
    more yellow-billed cuckoos, like the one you have there, and
    you know, we announced--it makes a sound, Senator, just warning
    you--and we announced $25 million for those efforts at MSCP at
    Topock Marsh and Yuma East Wetlands. This year we saw, for the
    first time in a long time, nesting for the willow flycatcher.
    So it's a success. And we are proud of it.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, and a without objection to
    submit for the record?
        [Bird call plays.]
        Senator Wyden. I was just going to say, there we are.
        [Photograph of toy bird, ``Yazmin, the Yellow-billed
    Cuckoo'' follows:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Padilla. Turning now, thank you.
        Senator Wyden. Senator Hoeven is going to bring out his
    woodpeckers, apparently.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Padilla. Commissioner, thank you for the souvenir.
        Ms. Touton. Thank you for the legislation.
        Senator Padilla. Let me ask you for your comments on a
    different bill that I previewed as well, on the San Joaquin
    River, and specifically, the River Restoration Program. I
    appreciate your support on it. I wanted to, just for the
    record, ask you to discuss what Reclamation would be able to do
    with additional funds to implement the program.
        Ms. Touton. The San Joaquin Restoration Program is a
    critically important program that we implement. It allows for
    the restoration of habitat for anadromous species. That is
    where the priority of the money will go, is for specifically
    the Mendota Pool and Reach 2B. It allows us, again, to restore
    an ecosystem and help with water reliability.
        Senator Padilla. And I know you have shared, not just with
    me, but all the stakeholders, how this program is a great
    example of how we can both manage water resources in California
    in an environmentally friendly manner while maintaining a
    reliable water supply. They are not at odds. These are co-equal
    goals. How would increasing the authorization of appropriations
    on the program help increase the reliability of water
    operations, particularly in the Friant division of the Central
    Valley Project?
        Ms. Touton. Being able to build this project now will have
    immediate benefits to the species, and allowing us to do that
    then will allow for reliability efforts for deliveries for the
    Friant Water Authority. I am pleased to be joined here by the
    General Manager of the Friant Water Authority, and we are
    really excited about this support, including from the State of
    California, in cost sharing.
        Senator Padilla. And on that note, I was going to ask how
    unique and important is a partnership with the states----
        Ms. Touton. It is.
        Senator Padilla [continuing]. And particularly the one-to-
    one, non-federal match for this?
        Ms. Touton. Yes, Senator, thank you.
        Senator Padilla. That's a big thumbs up then.
        Then lastly, the third of my bills, the Sacramento River
    Act, specifically Section 2 of the bill. During your time as
    Commissioner, I have seen firsthand how your efforts have been
    successful to bring stakeholders together, even when it seems
    like they have opposing interests, from agriculture to water
    contractors, NGOs, tribes, communities, and others, not to
    mention the seven Colorado River Basin States, 30 Basin tribes,
    and Mexico, when it comes to those negotiations. I have to tell
    you, one of the highlights, particularly on water, for me in my
    time in the Senate has been to join you at the historic water
    agreement signing earlier this year impacting Central Valley
    water users. You have also supported the Floodplain Forward
    collaborative efforts that I mentioned among landowners,
    growers, water suppliers, conservation organizations, and
    government entities to protect the ecology of the area. Can you
    just share with us what your approach is, because it's the same
    approach I have seen in the Central Valley, that I have seen
    with the Colorado River states, and I imagine you are deploying
    elsewhere. What is Commissioner Touton's secret sauce here?
        Ms. Touton. The solutions are roots-up. Massively organic
    and roots-up, and wherever the Federal Government can partner,
    especially with resources, is where we find success. You
    mentioned the south-of-delta drought plan. It allows for
    operational flexibility, it allows for upgrading
    infrastructure, and it allows for saving a little bit of that
    water when we absolutely need it. And it supports the San
    Joaquin Restoration Program. So wherever we can do that,
    whether it's in the Sacramento Valley, the Deschutes Basin, or
    other places, we will do that every time.
        Senator Padilla. What else do you need from us?
        Ms. Touton. Thank you for your support, Senator.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Senator Wyden. It doesn't get better than that. Thank you
    for your support.
        Senator Hoeven.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for holding
    this hearing today and for including Senate bill 4996, which is
    my bill regarding the Dakota Water Resources Act, and also, of
    course, thank you to Commissioner Touton. Thanks for being out
    in North Dakota and for your incredibly important work on this
    bill. As you know, it's a big deal for us, and having come out
    several times to our state and helping us craft it. Also, it's
    bipartisan, and I want to thank Senator Padilla for your
    support of this legislation, and I am pleased to work with you
    on this and on your legislation as well. So, thank you for that
    bipartisan support.
        I have, Mr. Chairman, letters here from the State of North
    Dakota, from the Garrison Diversion, from the Lake Agassiz
    Water Authority, from North Dakota Rural Water, as well as
    letters of support from the tribal nations in our state,
    including the Three Affiliated Tribes, which is Mandan,
    Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the
    Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, as well as the Spirit Lake
    Tribe and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe. And I would ask
    that these letters of support for this legislation be included
    in the record.
        Senator Wyden. Without objection, so ordered.
        [Letters of support for S. 4996 follow:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Commissioner Touton, again, having been out to our state on
    multiple occasions, and I do commend you for that, and
    obviously you are getting to these other states as well, and I
    think that says a lot about your commitment to do this job and
    do it well and do it from a position of knowing what you are
    working on, and getting out there, and actually seeing these
    projects makes such an incredible difference. And so, when we
    talk to you about the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) and
    how we have been working on that for, you know, for more than
    20 years, and we are getting very close to fruition, but you
    have actually been out to Garrison Dam on Lake Sakakawea and
    seen what we are doing in terms of utilizing existing resources
    that we have and that Reclamation has. And that's a win for the
    Federal Government as well as for our state.
        And of course, when we talk to you about it, it's one thing
    you having actually been there and been down inside that
    amazing construction project, not only the dam, but the pumping
    plant and all these different things, is incredibly important
    as well as when we talk about ENDAWS and you know, bringing
    water to Eastern North Dakota and utilizing the federal
    resources that have been constructed over the years, which are
    not now being utilized, like the McClusky Canal, for example,
    not only creates a revenue opportunity combining the dam and
    these canals--not only provides a revenue opportunity for the
    Federal Government, which is incredibly important, but it saves
    our state a lot of money and benefits the tribes as well in
    terms of these water projects. You get it. You have been there.
    You have seen it. And you have been on both ends. You have been
    out in western North Dakota. You have been in eastern North
    Dakota and understand that it affects our entire state as well
    as western Minnesota, too. So, your support for this project is
    incredibly important.
        I guess the only question, again, just to put it on the
    record, is will you continue to work with me, our state, and
    the tribes to do all we can to pass this legislation and to
    pass it by the end of the year so we can ensure the
    authorizations are in place for Fiscal Year 2025 funding?
        Ms. Touton. Yes, and Senator, we didn't summer in North
    Dakota this summer.
        Senator Hoeven. I know.
        Ms. Touton. So, just first, the ability to be able to see
    the source and then to go to the people we will serve with this
    project has always stayed with me to understand what this
    means. So, yes, I look forward to working to continue this
    project with you.
        Senator Hoeven. And we still need to get you back when it
    works because, as you know, we have another trip planned for
    you, and to make some stops, including getting you out on some
    of the lakes there, like we talked about.
        Ms. Touton. Thank you, Senator. I look forward to it.
        Senator Hoeven. Thank you.
        Senator Wyden. Okay. My colleagues say they are done with
    questions. I want to leave you with one thought. Listening to
    you and my colleagues, it's clear that you are making very
    strong efforts to carve out resources for these important
    projects. That has never been the question, nor has your
    sincerity and your professionalism ever been a question, you
    know, for me. What I have been concerned about is fast-tracking
    this and making it happen more quickly. So, let's do this--
    apropos of my request to get the money out in 90 days--why
    don't we say let's have you give us a report on where we are in
    the next 90 days, and if you have any suggestions or ideas for
    fast-tracking this, I would really like to see that. That would
    be a legacy for this Committee. Having done this for a while,
    very often the challenge is to get beyond some of the
    traditional ways of doing business and speed things up. I find,
    once in a while, somebody gets up in Washington, DC, and
    basically says, I don't want to do this, period, I don't care
    for them. That's not usually the case. But I think they do get
    up and find they are almost muscle-bound by these kinds of
    rules. And there's a lot of money left in that IRA program. And
    these are rural communities and tribal communities and they are
    hard-hit, and water is not an abstract issue. This is life and
    death and community well-being.
        So, why don't we assume that after a passionate argument
    about this whole thing--kidding aside--we would like to see if
    we can speed this up. Let's have a report in 90 days with
    respect to where we are and any ideas, some of which may
    require legislation, which I would be happy to work with you
    on. And consider that the next step.
        So, I thank my colleagues for their cooperation. For the
    record, members will have until the close of business tomorrow
    to submit additional questions for the record.
        And Ms. Touton, let me repeat, again, you have always
    cooperated with us. It has been a pleasure to work with you.
        And with that, the Committee is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 3:33 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                          APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED

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