[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7764-H7765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IRRIGATION PROJECT CONTRACT EXTENSION ACT OF 1998

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2795) to extend certain contracts between the Bureau of 
Reclamation and irrigation water contractors in Wyoming and Nebraska 
that receive water from Glendo Reservoir, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2795

       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 ``Irrigation Project Contract 
     Extension Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF CONTRACTS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall extend 
     each of the water service or repayment contracts for the 
     Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin Project identified in 
     subsection (c) until December 31, 2000.
       (b) Extensions Coterminous With Cooperative Agreement.--If 
     the cooperative agreement entitled ``Cooperative Agreement 
     for Platte River Research and other Efforts Relating to 
     Endangered Species Habitats Along the Central Platte River, 
     Nebraska'', entered into by the Governors of the States of 
     Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado and the Secretary of the 
     Interior, is extended for a term beyond December 31, 2000, 
     the contracts identified in subsection (c) shall be extended 
     for the same term, but not to go beyond December 31, 2001. If 
     the cooperative agreement terminates prior to December 31, 
     2000, the contracts identified in subsection (c) shall be 
     subject to renewal on the date that the cooperative agreement 
     terminates.
       (c) Contracts.--The contracts identified in this subsection 
     are--
       (1) the contract between the United States and the New 
     Grattan Ditch Company for water service from Glendo Reservoir 
     (Contract No. 14-06-700-7591), dated March 7, 1974;
       (2) the contract between the United States and Burbank 
     Ditch for water service from Glendo Reservoir (Contract No. 
     14-06-700-6614), dated May 23, 1969;
       (3) the contract between the United States and the 
     Torrington Irrigation District for water service from Glendo 
     Reservoir (Contract No. 14-06-700-1771), dated July 14, 1958;
       (4) the contract between the United States and the Lucerne 
     Canal and Power Company for water service from Glendo 
     Reservoir (Contract No. 14-06-700-1740, as amended), dated 
     June 12, 1958, and amended June 10, 1960;
       (5) the contract between the United States and the Wright 
     and Murphy Ditch Company for water service from Glendo 
     Reservoir (Contract No. 14-06-700-1741), dated June 12, 1958;
       (6) the contract between the United States and the 
     Bridgeport Irrigation District for water service from Glendo 
     Reservoir (Contract No. 14-06-700-8376, renumbered 6-07-70-
     W0126), dated July 9, 1976;
       (7) the contract between the United States and the 
     Enterprises Irrigation District for water service from Glendo 
     Reservoir (Contract No. 14-06-700-1742), dated June 12, 1958;
       (8)(A) the contract between the United States and the 
     Mitchell Irrigation District for an increase in carryover 
     storage capacity in Glendo Reservoir (Contract No. 14-06-700-
     1743, renumbered 8-07-70-W0056 Amendment No. 1), dated March 
     22, 1985; and
       (B) the contract between the United States and the Mitchell 
     Irrigation District for water service from Glendo Reservoir 
     (Contract No. 14-06-700-1743, renumbered 8-07-70-W0056) dated 
     June 12, 1958; and
       (9) the contract between the United States and the Central 
     Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District for repayment 
     of allocated irrigation costs of Glendo Reservoir (Contract 
     No. 5-07-70-W0734), dated December 31, 1984.
       (d) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section 
     precludes the Secretary of the Interior from making an 
     extension under subsection (a) or (b) in the form of annual 
     extensions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Doolittle) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle).
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2795 provides for the extension of certain 
contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and irrigation water 
contractors in Nebraska and Wyoming that receive water from Glendo 
Reservoir.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Nebraska (Mr. Barrett) who is the author of the bill.
  Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska. I thank the gentleman for yielding this time 
to me, and, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 2795, the 
Irrigation Project Contract and Extension Act. The bill is vitally 
important to many, including several irrigation projects in my 
district.
  Let me first thank the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Doolittle), for his work and the work of his staff in 
bringing the bill to the floor today; also to the gentlewoman from 
Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) and to her staff as well for their diligence and 
hard work in this matter. Representative Cubin and I introduced this 
bill last November, and there have been many days since that we 
struggled with whether or not the bill would come to the floor. I again 
thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) and others for 
their work, and that is why I am so especially pleased to encourage my 
colleagues to support the bill today.
  The Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act would extend for 2 
years the contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and several 
different kinds of water users in Nebraska and Wyoming, and earlier 
this year a memorandum of agreement was signed by Nebraska, Colorado, 
Wyoming and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The MOA requires a 
study of endangered species' habitats along the Platte River. The water 
users, including four irrigation districts in Nebraska, will be a part 
of this study, but the study will not be completed until the year 2000, 
and during that time the water contracts of course will have expired. 
Well, this bill provides additional time so that the water users would 
not have to conduct a separate and superfluous ESA study before the end 
of the year.
  So again I thank the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Doolittle) and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
2795.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2795. In addition to providing 
for continued water deliveries to irrigators, this legislation will 
allow work to continue on the environmental impact statement, our plan 
to improve wildlife habitat in the central Platte region in Nebraska. 
Endangered Species Act compliance will also continue during the term of 
the contracted extension. The committee agreed to the amendments 
suggested by the administration which ensure that the water contracts 
are not extended indefinitely. It is my understanding the 
administration has no objection to the enactment of the bill as 
reported by the Committee on Resources. I thank the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Water Power for his cooperation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 2795.
  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House is considering 
this legislation today

[[Page H7765]]

under suspension of the rules. It is vital that both the House and the 
Senate act on it and send it to the President in order to ensure that 
water contracts for the Glendo Unit of the Pick Sloan Missouri River 
Basin program don't expire.
  This legislation is supported by the Administration and by extending 
the water contracts, H.R. 2795 will improve the Interior Department's 
ability to complete the environmental impact statement on a plan to 
provide additional river flow and improve the habitat for the benefit 
of the whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover and the 
pallid sturgeon in the Central Platte Region in Nebraska. In addition, 
contract extension will enable appropriate consultation to take place 
consistent with the Endangered Species Act.
  I'd like to thank Representative Barrett for all his efforts on this 
legislation. He and his staff have worked very hard to get this bill 
enacted. Thanks also to Representative Doolittle for moving the bill 
out of his Subcommittee and through the Resources Committee. This is an 
important initiative and one which merits the support of everyone in 
this chamber.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. I have no more requests for time, Mr. Speaker, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2795, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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