[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8551-S8552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DASCHLE (for himself and Mr. JOHNSON):
  S. 1099. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Army to acquire 
such land in the vicinity of Pierre, South Dakota, as the Secretary 
determines is adversely affected by the full wintertime Oahe Powerplant 
release; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.


    RELOCATION OF RESIDENTS IN PIERRE AND FT. PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA, 
                              LEGISLATION

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to 
provide the Corps of Engineers with the authority to buy-out and 
relocate people living in the southeast Pierre and Ft.

[[Page S8552]]

Pierre areas that are being flooded by the federal Pick-Sloan project. 
This is a chronic problem that is getting worse every year as sediment 
builds up at the delta of the Bad and Missouri Rivers.
  In the Pierre and Ft. Pierre area, high water levels, exacerbated by 
sediment buildup and ice, regularly leads to the flooding of homes in 
the wintertime. The situation has become intolerable, and it is not 
fair for the residents of this area to continue to suffer as the result 
of the operation of this federal project. Moreover, the flooding 
problem hinders the ability of the Western Area Power Administration to 
generate hydroelectric power from the Oahe dam, resulting in the loss 
of millions of dollars in revenues to the federal government each year.
  To address this problem, I added a provision to the 1996 Water 
Resources Development Act to require the Corps of Engineers to develop 
a plan to remove the sediment blocking the channel and to reduce the 
erosion that is leading to this persistent buildup of sediment at the 
delta. Hopefully, this effort will lead to the development of a means 
of moving some of the sediment and of a plan to better prevent erosion 
in the Bad River watershed. One local resident, Mike Harrison, has 
developed a plan to help clear the channel of sediment which holds 
promise and which the Corps will evaluate with funds appropriated for 
fiscal year 1998.
  Even if that effort is successful, however, and we are able to 
relieve some of the pressure on the channel, sediment from the Bad 
River will continue to build up at that location. In short, while we 
may be able to increase the capacity of the channel to transport water 
and thus allow for greater hydroelectric power generation in the 
wintertime, it is difficult to envision a time when we will be able to 
permanently alleviate the risk of flooding to the homeowners in the 
area.
  Therefore, I am introducing this legislation to authorize the Corps 
to relocate the affected homeowners and ensure that they never again 
have to face the prospects of enduring flooded homes during our cold 
South Dakota winters. It is my strong hope Congress will recognize the 
severity of this problem and move swiftly to enact and implement this 
legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1099

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ACQUISITION OF LAND NEAR PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

       To provide full operational capability to carry out the 
     authorized purposes of the Missouri River Main Stem dams that 
     are part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Program 
     authorized by section 9 of the Act entitled ``An Act 
     authorizing the construction of certain public works on 
     rivers and harbors for flood control, and for other 
     purposes'', approved December 22, 1944, the Secretary of the 
     Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, may acquire, 
     from willing sellers, such land in the vicinity of Pierre, 
     South Dakota, as the Secretary determines is adversely 
     affected by the full wintertime Oahe Powerplant release.
                                 ______