[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 74 (Monday, May 7, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4507-H4508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ALASKA WATER RESOURCES ACT OF 2007

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1114) to require the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological 
Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of 
Alaska, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1114

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page H4508]]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Alaska Water Resources Act 
     of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska.

     SEC. 3. ALASKA WATER RESOURCES STUDY.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary, acting through the Commissioner 
     of Reclamation and the Director of the United States 
     Geological Survey, where appropriate, and in accordance with 
     this Act and other applicable provisions of law, shall 
     conduct a study that includes--
       (1) a survey of accessible water supplies, including 
     aquifers, on the Kenai Peninsula and in the Municipality of 
     Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the city of 
     Fairbanks, and the Fairbanks Northstar Borough;
       (2) a survey of water treatment needs and technologies, 
     including desalination, applicable to the water resources of 
     the State; and
       (3) a review of the need for enhancement of the streamflow 
     information collected by the United States Geological Survey 
     in the State relating to critical water needs in areas such 
     as--
       (A) infrastructure risks to State transportation,
       (B) flood forecasting,
       (C) resource extraction; and
       (D) fire management.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the Senate a report describing the results of 
     the study required by subsection (a).

     SEC. 4. 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.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Lamborn) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 days 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 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The purpose of 1114, as introduced by the ranking member of the 
Natural Resources Committee, the Honorable Representative Don Young, is 
to require the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of 
Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study 
on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska.

                              {time}  1545

  The assessment and evaluation of current water resources is essential 
to understanding the needs of that community and its environment. H.R. 
1114 would require the Bureau of Reclamation and the USGS to do exactly 
that, to study the water supplies, the water treatment, and the water 
distribution needs of Alaska. The bill requires the Secretary of 
Interior to report the findings of this study to Congress no later than 
2 years after enactment.
  A study of this magnitude, Mr. Speaker, is vital to the proper 
management of our most precious natural resource. I do greatly 
appreciate the hard work of Representative Young on this legislation 
and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1114.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This important legislation introduced by the distinguished ranking 
member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Don Young, will help 
Alaskans through water infrastructure study and development, and 
improved flood control management.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the 
bill and the ranking Republican of the Natural Resources Committee, Mr. 
Young of Alaska.
  (Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the chairman of the 
committee, Mrs. Napolitano from California, for bringing this bill up 
with Mr. Rahall.
  This bill seeks to expand Alaska's water supply system and reduce 
flood threats. My State's combined water bodies comprise one-third of 
all the fresh water in the United States, but communities are 
struggling to provide drinking water due to the outdated water 
distribution system and lack of information on groundwater resources. 
For this reason, this bill will include a survey of potential water 
supplies in the City of Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the 
City of Fairbanks and Fairbanks Northstar Borough.
  The bill also improves streamflow information to improve flood 
forecasting, resource extraction and fire management. Streamflow 
information in the form of USGS streamgaging stations is insufficient 
in Alaska compared to other States. In fact, Alaska has only 100 
streamgage stations, which is less than 10 percent of the information 
available in many other States. This bill will help alleviate that 
situation.
  Again, I want to thank Mr. Rahall and Mrs. Napolitano of California 
for bringing this bill, and I urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, may I say that I am so happy today we are talking about 
water, water in California, water in Alaska, water in Nebraska. Water 
is going to be our next big crisis that we are going to be faced with 
in this Nation, it is energy now, and we must do something. We have to 
learn how to use water better, how to impound water, and how to deliver 
water so we have that which supports our life, and that is water.
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I couldn't agree more with Congressman 
Young about the importance of water for our country, and I would hope 
that we can work in a bipartisan manner to continue to look at other 
areas that will be in dire need of help, Federal help, to be able to 
determine what needs to be done to help them address their water 
concerns, and I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1114.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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