[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7654-H7655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LOWER REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN STUDY ACT
Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4750) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and
conservation project to improve water supply reliability, increase the
capacity of water storage, and improve water management efficiency in
the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and
Milford Lake in Kansas, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4750
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 ``Lower Republican River Basin
Study Act''.
[[Page H7655]]
SEC. 2. REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY.
(a) Authorization of Study.--Pursuant to reclamation laws,
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of
Reclamation and in consultation and cooperation with the
States of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado, may conduct a study
to--
(1) determine the feasibility of implementing a water
supply and conservation project that will--
(A) improve water supply reliability in the Republican
River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and
Milford Lake in Kansas, including areas in the counties of
Harlan, Franklin, Webster, and Nuckolls in Nebraska and
Jewel, Republic, Cloud, Washington, and Clay in Kansas (in
this section referred to as the ``Republican River Basin'');
(B) increase the capacity of water storage through
modifications of existing projects or through new projects
that serve areas in the Republican River Basin; and
(C) improve water management efficiency in the Republican
River Basin through conservation and other available means
and, where appropriate, evaluate integrated water resource
management and supply needs in the Republican River Basin;
and
(2) consider appropriate cost-sharing options for
implementation of the project.
(b) Cost Sharing.--The Federal share of the cost of the
study shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the
study, and shall be nonreimbursable.
(c) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary shall undertake
the study through cooperative agreements with the State of
Kansas or Nebraska and other appropriate entities determined
by the Secretary.
(d) Completion and Report.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), not
later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this
section the Secretary of the Interior shall complete the
study and transmit to the Congress a report containing the
results of the study.
(2) Extension.--If the Secretary determines that the study
cannot be completed within the 3-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary--
(A) shall, at the time of that determination, report to the
Congress on the status of the study, including an estimate of
the date of completion; and
(B) complete the study and transmit to the Congress a
report containing the results of the study by not later than
that date.
(e) Sunset of Authority.--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 New
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.
Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 4750, sponsored by Congressman Tom Osborne,
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of a
water supply and conservation project in the Republican River Basin.
This legislation would enact into law one requirement of the
Republican River Compact Settlement negotiated between the States of
Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado, and approved by the United States
Supreme Court in 2003.
The feasibility study would help clarify the opportunities to
increase water storage in the river basin, and is needed to increase
water availability and encourage more efficient water use.
I urge my colleagues to support this needed legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, we too support passage of this legislation,
encourage its adoption and yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), the author of the legislation.
Mr. OSBORNE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico for
yielding me time and bringing this forward, and for the rapidity with
which we are moving through the bills tonight. We are sorry to slow you
down. But the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and I would like to say
a few words about this bill. He was a co-author with me.
As you mentioned, H.R. 4750 is a study as to how to more efficiently
utilize water between Harlan County Dam in Nebraska and Milford
Reservoir in Kansas. The reason this is so important is that Nebraska
and Kansas signed a compact in 2002, which means that a lot of Nebraska
water goes down the Republican River into Kansas, and Nebraska so far
has been short. We are 100,000 acre feet short, as a matter of fact,
over the last 3 years.
And this has been exacerbated by an extreme drought which we have had
for the last 6 years. So this water shortage has made for a very
critical situation. So if we can, through this study, allocate water
more effectively, save some water, it will help farmers, ranchers,
municipalities both in Nebraska and Kansas.
We want to thank you. We want to thank Mr. Pombo and the resources
staff for bringing forth this bill on short notice. We think it is very
important. We urge its passage. We appreciation the cooperation on both
sides of the aisle on this bill.
Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).
Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New
Mexico. I also thank the gentleman from Wisconsin this evening for
being here in support of H.R. 4750. As has been indicated, this is a
very important issue for many in both the State of Nebraska and the
State of Kansas. I particularly want to express my appreciation to the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and really the cooperation that
has existed on very difficult issues between the State of Nebraska and
the State of Kansas.
Water is a huge issue in the midwest. It always has been, probably
always will be. But it is especially exacerbated by the fact of
inadequate rainfall for now, four, five and six years in much of Kansas
and much of Nebraska.
An agreement was reached, compact litigation ensued. Ultimately a
settlement of that litigation was reached. And that settlement provides
for the State of Nebraska and the State of Kansas to come together,
provide some money, share with the Federal Government.
The Department of Interior would then conduct a study. The State of
Kansas, and I believe the State of Nebraska has appropriated this money
for the fiscal year. That is why this legislation is so important to be
timely considered and timely approved. All that now remains is for the
Federal Government to meet its obligation under the settlement
agreement.
The feasibility study is desperately needed to increase the water
availability to find out how we do that, and to encourage its efficient
use and conservation within our delivery system.
Madam Speaker, the feasibility study authorized by 4750 is not only
necessary to ensure the State remains in compliance with that
agreement, but to make certain that the economic, agriculture and
personal use of water is done in a very efficient and effective way.
I urge Members of Congress to approve this legislation.
Mr. PEARCE. Madam Speaker, I would remind the Members that this is a
very bipartisan bill, everything being bipartisan except the name of
the river basin being studied. I would urge passage.
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 New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4750, 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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