[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H651-H652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SAN DIEGO WATER STORAGE AND EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2005

  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1190) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
feasibility study to design and construct a four reservoir intertie 
system for the purposes of improving the water storage opportunities, 
water supply reliability, and water yield of San Vicente, El Capitan, 
Murray, and Loveland Reservoirs in San Diego County, California

[[Page H652]]

in consultation and cooperation with the City of San Diego and the 
Sweetwater Authority, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1190

       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 ``San Diego Water Storage and 
     Efficiency Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY STUDY, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, COST SHARE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter 
     referred to as ``Secretary''), in consultation and 
     cooperation with the City of San Diego and the Sweetwater 
     Authority, is authorized to undertake a study to determine 
     the feasibility of constructing a four reservoir intertie 
     system to improve water storage opportunities, water supply 
     reliability, and water yield of the existing non-Federal 
     water storage system. The feasibility study shall document 
     the Secretary's engineering, environmental, and economic 
     investigation of the proposed reservoir and intertie project 
     taking into consideration the range of potential solutions 
     and the circumstances and needs of the area to be served by 
     the proposed reservoir and intertie project, the potential 
     benefits to the people of that service area, and improved 
     operations of the proposed reservoir and intertie system. The 
     Secretary shall indicate in the feasibility report required 
     under subsection (d) whether the proposed reservoir and 
     intertie project is recommended for construction.
       (b) Federal Cost Share.--The Federal share of the costs of 
     the feasibility study shall not exceed 50 percent of the 
     total study costs. The Secretary may accept as part of the 
     non-Federal cost share, any contribution of such in-kind 
     services by the City of San Diego and the Sweetwater 
     Authority that the Secretary determines will contribute 
     toward the conduct and completion of the study.
       (c) Cooperation.--The Secretary shall consult and cooperate 
     with appropriate State, regional, and local authorities in 
     implementing this section.
       (d) Feasibility Report.--The Secretary shall submit to 
     Congress a feasibility report for the project the Secretary 
     recommends, and to seek, as the Secretary deems appropriate, 
     specific authority to develop and construct any recommended 
     project. This report shall include--
       (1) good faith letters of intent by the City of San Diego 
     and the Sweetwater Authority and its non-Federal partners to 
     indicate that they have committed to share the allocated 
     costs as determined by the Secretary; and
       (2) a schedule identifying the annual operation, 
     maintenance, and replacement costs that should be allocated 
     to the City of San Diego and the Sweetwater Authority, as 
     well as the current and expected financial capability to pay 
     operation, maintenance, and replacement costs.

     SEC. 3. FEDERAL RECLAMATION PROJECTS.

       Nothing in this Act shall supersede or amend the provisions 
     of Federal Reclamation laws or laws associated with any 
     project or any portion of any project constructed under any 
     authority of Federal Reclamation laws.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
     $3,000,000 for the Federal cost share of the study authorized 
     in section 2.

     SEC. 5. SUNSET.

       The authority of the Secretary to carry out any provisions 
     of this Act shall terminate 10 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Gohmert) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam 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 the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 1190, introduced by our colleague, Chairman 
Duncan Hunter from California, is the first step in expanding 
increasingly scarce water supplies for thousands of citizens in the San 
Diego area.
  This bill authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to assess the 
feasibility of constructing an intertie system between four reservoirs. 
Several of those reservoirs are significantly below capacity in most 
years. Once interconnected, water could then be transported to the 
unused space.
  Growing populations and reduced water storage opportunities require 
us to make efficient use of the supplies that we have, and this bill 
does just that. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
noncontroversial and important legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, the majority has explained this legislation 
adequately. The bill provides the Secretary full discretion regarding 
Federal participation in this study and requires a local cost share 
that is consistent with longstanding Bureau of Reclamation policy.
  Madam Speaker, we have no objection to the passage of H.R. 1190.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1190, 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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