[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NORTHERN COLORADO WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT FACILITIES CONVEYANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2005

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill 
and commend my Colorado colleague, Mrs. Musgrave, for its introduction.
  The bill would direct the Interior Department to convey to the 
Northern Colorado Water Conservation District wants the title to some 
of the water-distribution facilities that are part of the Bureau of 
Reclamation's Colorado-Big Thompson project.
  That project, authorized by Congress in 1937 to provide water for 
agricultural and other uses, consists of dams, dikes, reservoirs, 
powerplants, pumping plants, pipelines, tunnels, and substations spread 
over approximately 250 miles. The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy 
District, the project's local government sponsor, operates and 
maintains all of the water conveyance facilities.
  H.R. 3443 directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 58 miles 
of the Project's water conveyance facilities (the St. Vrain Supply 
Canal, Boulder Creek Supply Canal, and South Platte Supply Canal) to 
the District. The transfer will allow the District to more cost-
effectively manage the facilities, reduce paperwork requirements, 
provide for local ownership and reduce the federal government's 
liability. The District, which has operated and maintained these water 
conveyance facilities since 1957, has repaid the appropriate capital 
costs associated with the facilities. Despite this repayment, the title 
of the facilities remains in the Bureau of Reclamation. This bill 
directs the transfer of this title with no conditions. It is modeled on 
the successful transfer (Public Law 106-376) of other single purpose 
water conveyance facilities associated with the Colorado Big-Thompson 
Project.
  None of the affected facilities are used to generate electricity. 
However, payments by electricity customers have been contributing to 
the repayment for the overall project, and the electricity customers 
still owe something under that repayment contract. To reflect that, the 
bill provides for transfer of funds from electricity-sale collections 
to complete repayment of the amount the electricity customers owe 
toward repayment of the facilities to be transferred.
  The bill includes language to make clear that it will not lessen the 
existing responsibilities of the district or affect the rights of two 
ditch companies whose ditches have been part of the distribution system 
for water from the Colorado-Big Thompson project. And, to stimulate 
prompt implementation, the bill says that if the transfer isn't 
completed within a year Interior must send a written report to Congress 
explaining why it hadn't done so and to keep reporting annually until 
the transfer is complete.
  I joined as a cosponsor of this legislation because I think it will 
be beneficial both for the Northern Colorado Water Conservation 
District and for the federal government. I urge its approval.

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