[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF 
                                  2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 22, 2002

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today is strong support of H.R. 2990, 
the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and 
Improvement Act of 2001, which was introduced by my good friend 
Congressman Ruben Hinojosa.
  Among other things, this legislation amends the Lower Rio Grande 
Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to 
authorize the construction of 20 additional specified projects in Texas 
and increases the authorization of appropriations for carrying out the 
these projects.
  As you know Mr. Speaker, the Rio Grande and the areas along both 
sides of the border have been severely impacted by drought conditions 
during the last decade. In fact, given the recent problems with the 
Mexican water debt, we are hearing more about the dire conditions of 
farmers in the area than in years past. There are more than seven 
million people residing in the Lower Valley of the Rio Grande river 
with approximately one million of those living in the United States. 
The area is one of the fastest growing areas of our country with 
projected populations more than doubling by the year 2050.
  This area encompasses 29 water districts located in the United States 
below the International Falcon-Amistad Reservoir System, which supplies 
nearly 95 percent of the water needs of this area. Mr. Speaker, we need 
to make significant improvements to irrigation canal delivery systems. 
We need to develop aggressive strategies to conserve water and we need 
to improve the overall management of the most precious resource in the 
area--water.
  On December 28, 2000, the President signed into law the Lower Rio 
Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 
(Public Law 106-576). The legislation authorized the Bureau of 
Reclamation (BOR) to develop a program to investigate and identify 
opportunities to improve the water supply for selected counties along 
the Texas-Mexico border. The bill on the floor today amends this law by 
adding 14 new water conservation projects; modifying the criteria for 
water supply studies; and increasing the authorization for carrying out 
the studies. In addition, this bill increases the authorization for 
construction of facilities from $10 million to $47 million. Mr. 
Speaker, we need to do everything in our power to facilitate good water 
management and conservation strategies along the U.S.--Mexico border. I 
applaud the efforts of my colleague for introducing this important 
legislation and I ask my colleagues to support its passage.

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