[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[House]
[Pages 27830-27831]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MASTER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT FEASIBILITY STUDY

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1337) to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to 
augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy 
District and cities served by the District, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1337

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

     SECTION 1. CENTRAL OKLAHOMA MASTER CONSERVATORY DISTRICT 
                   FEASIBILITY STUDY.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) Thunderbird Lake, located on Little River in central 
     Oklahoma, was constructed in 1965 by the Bureau of 
     Reclamation for flood control, water supply, recreation, and 
     fish and wildlife purposes;
       (2) the available yield of Thunderbird Lake is allocated to 
     the Central Oklahoma Master Conservatory District, which 
     supplies municipal and industrial water supplies to the 
     cities of Norman, Midwest City, and Del City, Oklahoma; and
       (3) studies conducted by the Bureau during fiscal year 2003 
     indicate that the District will require additional water 
     supplies to meet the future needs of the District, including 
     through--
       (A) the drilling of additional wells;
       (B) the implementation of a seasonal pool plan at 
     Thunderbird Lake;
       (C) the construction of terminal storage to hold wet-
     weather yield from Thunderbird Lake;
       (D) a reallocation of water storage; and
       (E) the importation of surplus water from sources outside 
     the basin of Thunderbird Lake.
       (b) Study.--Beginning no later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of the Bureau of 
     Reclamation shall conduct a feasibility study of alternatives 
     to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master 
     Conservatory District and cities served by the District, 
     including recommendations of the Commissioner, if any.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Commissioner of the Bureau of 
     Reclamation $900,000 to conduct the study under subsection 
     (b).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. 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 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The purpose of H.R. 1337, introduced by our colleague, Congressman 
Tom Cole of Oklahoma, is to direct the Commissioner of the Bureau of 
Reclamation to conduct a feasibility study on alternatives to augment 
the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District 
and cities served by that district.
  This legislation was previously considered by the House, and we have 
no objection to this noncontroversial bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1337.
  H.R. 1337, authored by Congressman Tom Cole, authorizes a feasibility

[[Page 27831]]

study to assist Norman, Oklahoma, and the surrounding area to meet 
long-term water supplies through the expansion of a Federal water 
project.
  Like many areas throughout the West, these Oklahoma communities are 
faced with growing water supply challenges. This thoughtful bill 
provides limited Federal assistance to expand a Federal reservoir, but 
preserves local rights and jurisdiction.
  Although some of us have concerns that there are people who play 
football in the Norman, Oklahoma, area and they have been overly 
aggressive as of late with some of our Texas teams, we are hopeful that 
by providing this help that it will cool down some of that 
overaggressiveness.
  I would urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. 
Gohmert) for his support on this noncontroversial bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1337, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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