[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[House]
[Pages 27538-27539]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     AUTHORIZING FEASIBILITY STUDY WITH RESPECT TO MOKELUMNE RIVER

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3812) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to prepare 
a feasibility study with respect to the Mokelumne River, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3812

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

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF MOKELUMNE RIVER REGIONAL WATER 
                   STORAGE AND CONJUNCTIVE USE PROJECT STUDY.

        Pursuant to the Reclamation Act of 1902 (32 Stat. 388) and 
     Acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, not later 
     than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this Act referred to 
     as the ``Secretary''), through the Bureau of Reclamation, and 
     in consultation and cooperation with the Mokelumne River 
     Water and Power Authority, shall complete and submit to the 
     Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and 
     the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
     copies of a study to determine the feasibility of 
     constructing a project to provide additional water supply and 
     improve water management reliability through the development 
     of new water storage and conjunctive use programs.

     SEC. 2. USE OF REPORTS AND OTHER INFORMATION.

        In developing the study under section 1, the Secretary 
     shall use, as appropriate, reports and any other relevant 
     information supplied by the Mokelumne River Water and Power 
     Authority, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and other 
     Mokelumne River Forum stakeholders.

     SEC. 3. COST SHARES.

       (a) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the costs of the 
     study conducted under this Act shall not exceed 50 percent of 
     the total cost of the study.
       (b) In-Kind Contributions.--The Secretary shall accept, as 
     appropriate, such in-kind contributions of goods or services 
     from the Mokelumne River Water and Power Authority as the 
     Secretary determines will contribute to the conduct and 
     completion of the study conducted under this Act. Goods and 
     services accepted under this section shall be counted as part 
     of the non-Federal cost share for the study.

     SEC. 4. WATER RIGHTS.

        Nothing in this Act shall be construed to invalidate, 
     preempt, or create any exception to State water law, State 
     water rights, or Federal or State permitted activities or 
     agreements.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

        There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
     $3,300,000 for the Federal cost share of the study conducted 
     under this Act.

     SEC. 6. 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 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative 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 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3812, introduced by the distinguished chairman of 
the Resources Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), 
authorizes a Federal feasibility study on creating more water storage.
  Rapid population growth and salt intrusion into the underlying 
aquifer have prompted officials in San Joaquin County, California, to 
seek a more dependable and reliable water supply for the region. The 
study in this legislation will examine ways to capture flood flows from 
an area river in order to develop 65,000 acre feet of potential water 
supplies.
  This water storage study will thoroughly examine all the issues 
surrounding the development of this new water resource, and expressly 
protects State water law and current permits and agreements. Above all, 
this legislation serves as the first step towards the development of 
much-needed water supplies.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to work with local interests to study possible projects to stabilize 
groundwater levels in San Joaquin County, California.
  I appreciate the efforts made by Chairman Pombo, the author of this 
bill, to accommodate the concerns of neighboring water users. 
Specifically, language in Section 2 of H.R. 3812 was carried forward 
from the 108th Congress to allow the participation of the East Bay 
Municipal Utility District and other stakeholders as this project moves 
forward.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to passage of this legislation.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in favor of H.R. 3812, a bill authored 
because in San Joaquin County, California, water supplies are being 
depleted. The region suffers from highly significant groundwater 
overdraft and saline intrusion, affecting agricultural, residential and 
commercial water users. This bill provides a much needed solution to a 
growing problem. H.R. 3812 authorizes $3.3 million in Federal funding 
to complete studies that will examine additional surface water 
supplies, and improve water supply reliability and environmental 
protection for the Bay-Delta Region. Led by the Bureau of Reclamation, 
the project's multi-

[[Page 27539]]

year evaluation would involve the participation and cooperation of a 
wide range of regional stakeholders and would provide information 
important to statewide water resource and environmental protection 
efforts. Areas aided by this bill include Stockton, Lodi, Lockeford, 
Clements, Waterloo, Farmington, Linden, Wallace, Camp Seco and Valley 
Springs. A clean, safe water supply is essential to sustain our growing 
communities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
important legislation.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3812, 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.

                          ____________________