[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 110 (Monday, September 18, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7661-H7662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1430
COLUSA BASIN WATERSHED INTEGRATED RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1113) to assist in the development and implementation of
projects to provide for the control of drainage, storm, flood and other
waters as part of the water-related integrated resource management,
environmental infrastructure, and resource protection and development
projects in the Colusa Basin Watershed, California, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1113
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 ``Colusa Basin Watershed
Integrated Resources Management Act''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE.
The Secretary of the Interior (in this Act referred to as
the ``Secretary''), acting within existing budgetary
authority, may provide financial assistance to the Colusa
Basin Drainage District, California (in this Act referred to
as the ``District''), for use by the District or by local
agencies acting pursuant to section 413 of the State of
California statute known as the Colusa Basin Drainage Act
(California Stats. 1987, ch. 1399) as in effect on the date
of the enactment of this Act (in this Act referred to as the
``State statute''), for planning, design, environmental
compliance, and construction required in carrying out
eligible projects in the Colusa Basin Watershed to--
(1)(A) reduce the risk of damage to urban and agricultural
areas from flooding or the discharge of drainage water or
tailwater;
(B) assist in groundwater recharge efforts to alleviate
overdraft and land subsidence; or
(C) construct, restore, or preserve wetland and riparian
habitat; and
(2) capture, as an incidental purpose of any of the
purposes referred to in paragraph (1), surface or stormwater
for conservation, conjunctive use, and increased water
supplies.
SEC. 3. PROJECT SELECTION.
(a) Eligible Projects.--A project shall be an eligible
project for purposes of section 2 only if it is--
(1) consistent with the plan for flood protection and
integrated resources management described in the document
entitled ``Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report and Draft Program Financing Plan,
Integrated Resources Management Program for Flood Control in
the Colusa Basin'', dated May 2000; and
(2) carried out in accordance with that document and all
environmental documentation requirements that apply to the
project under the laws of the United States and the State of
California.
(b) Compatibility Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure
that projects for which assistance is provided under this Act
are not inconsistent with watershed protection and
environmental restoration efforts being carried out under the
authority of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act
(Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 4706 et seq.) or the CALFED
Bay-Delta Program.
SEC. 4. COST SHARING.
(a) Non-Federal Share.--The Secretary shall require that
the District and cooperating non-Federal agencies or
organizations pay--
(1) 25 percent of the costs associated with construction of
any project carried out with assistance provided under this
Act;
(2) 100 percent of any operation, maintenance, and
replacement and rehabilitation costs with respect to such a
project; and
(3) 35 percent of the costs associated with planning,
design, and environmental compliance activities.
(b) Planning, Design, and Compliance Assistance.--Funds
appropriated pursuant to this Act may be made available to
fund 65 percent of costs incurred for planning, design, and
environmental compliance activities by the District or by
local agencies acting pursuant to the State statute, in
accordance with agreements with the Secretary.
(c) Treatment of Contributions.--For purposes of this
section, the Secretary shall treat the value of lands,
interests in lands (including rights-of-way and other
easements), and necessary relocations contributed by the
District to a project as a payment by the District of the
costs of the project.
SEC. 5. COSTS NONREIMBURSABLE.
Amounts expended pursuant to this Act shall be considered
nonreimbursable for purposes of the Act of June 17, 1902 (32
Stat. 388;
[[Page H7662]]
43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.), and Acts amendatory thereof and
supplemental thereto.
SEC. 6. AGREEMENTS.
Funds appropriated pursuant to this Act may be made
available to the District or a local agency only if the
District or local agency, as applicable, has entered into a
binding agreement with the Secretary--
(1) under which the District or the local agency is
required to pay the non-Federal share of the costs of
construction required by section 4(a); and
(2) governing the funding of planning, design, and
compliance activities costs under section 4(b).
SEC. 7. REIMBURSEMENT.
For project work (including work associated with studies,
planning, design, and construction) carried out by the
District or by a local agency acting pursuant to the State
statute in section 2 before the date amounts are provided for
the project under this Act, the Secretary shall, subject to
amounts being made available in advance in appropriations
Acts, reimburse the District or the local agency, without
interest, an amount equal to the estimated Federal share of
the cost of such work under section 4.
SEC. 8. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may enter into cooperative
agreements and contracts with the District to assist the
Secretary in carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(b) Subcontracting.--Under such cooperative agreements and
contracts, the Secretary may authorize the District to manage
and let contracts and receive reimbursements, subject to
amounts being made available in advance in appropriations
Acts, for work carried out under such contracts or
subcontracts.
SEC. 9. RELATIONSHIP TO RECLAMATION REFORM ACT OF 1982.
Activities carried out, and financial assistance provided,
under this Act shall not be considered a supplemental or
additional benefit for purposes of the Reclamation Reform Act
of 1982 (96 Stat. 1263; 43 U.S.C. 390aa et seq.).
SEC. 10. APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED.
Within existing budgetary authority and subject to the
availability of appropriations, the Secretary is authorized
to expend up to $25,000,000, plus such additional amount, if
any, as may be required by reason of changes in costs of
services of the types involved in the District's projects as
shown by engineering and other relevant indexes to carry out
this Act. Sums appropriated under this section shall remain
available until expended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentleman from American
Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).
General Leave
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1113.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1113 introduced, by the gentleman from California
(Mr. Ose), addresses issues associated with water management, flood
control, drainage and subsistence occurring within the multicounty
Colusa Basin in California.
The bill intends to reduce the risk of damage to urban and
agricultural areas from flooding or the discharge of drainage water. It
will assist in groundwater recharge efforts, as well as provide funding
for conservation, conjunctive use and increased water supplies.
One of the prime objectives of local project proponents in seeking
introduction of this legislation was to specifically identify a
congressional priority for funding from within existing Federal
programs. This authorization is not intended to expand Federal
expenditure but is to prioritize existing spending. I would encourage
my colleagues to vote for the legislation.
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) to address some of his feelings
on this legislation that affects his Congressional District.
Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, oftentimes, I am reminded by others who are
smarter than I, when an organization does what one is hoping it does,
perhaps the best thing one can do is just sit down and be quiet.
However, I did want to offer a few remarks on the passage of H.R. 1113.
H.R. 1113 is a win-win for my district in that it provides the
opportunity to complete work that was commenced under my predecessor's
tenure. When Vic Fazio was here in the 105th Congress, he worked with
Members on both sides of the aisle, the purpose of which was to bring
some flood protection to the Colusa Basin and its residents. He was, I
believe, able to get this package passed through the House twice,
actually; but, unfortunately, it got caught in a time crunch at the end
of the 105th and, as such, did not get signed by the President.
We are back here today on the first step of the new travels of the
new journey. We pass it here in the House. It will go on to the Senate
from here. The essential components of this bill are that we provide
flood protection for people in the Colusa Basin, hopefully averting up
to an average of $5 million a year in flood damage that occurs on
seasonal streams off the Pacific Coast range.
It provides up to 10,000 acres of new wetlands and habitat for
wildlife along the Pacific flyaway. It is supported by the Yolo, Glenn
and Colusa Boards of Supervisors, the California Farm Bureau, local
organizations like the Family Water Alliance, the Sacramento Valley
Landowners Association, the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, and also
by the municipalities such as Willows, Colusa and Orland.
It is also somewhat of a unique vehicle in that the Colusa Basin
Drainage District has entered into a memorandum of understanding
somewhat unusual in this, laying out the parameters under which the
10,000 acres of new wildlife and habitat area will be managed. It is
unique in that sense.
It is perhaps a vehicle we could mimic elsewhere in the country as we
work to balance our needs between the demands of humans for flood
protection and our needs to help in the environment and the like.
Again, I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) for allowing me to come and speak.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman
from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) for his management of the legislation and
on the floor.
Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes a number of relatively small
structures for water retention and watershed management in California's
Colusa Basin. The bill, as amended, now requires a reasonable level of
local cost sharing to help cover project planning, design and
environmental compliance expenses. I thank the gentleman from
California (Mr. Ose) for his sponsorship of this bill, and I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote aye on the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1113, 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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