[House Report 110-221]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





110th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                    110-221

======================================================================


 
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

                                _______
                                

 July 10, 2007.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Rahall, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 1337]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 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, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 
with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do 
pass.

  The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

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).

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of H.R. 1337 is to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to prepare a feasibility study of alternatives to 
augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master 
Conservancy District and cities served by the District.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    The Bureau of Reclamation's Norman Project provides a 
supplemental municipal water supply for the cities of Norman, 
Del City, and Midwest City, Oklahoma. The project also provides 
flood protection to lands south and east of the project area, 
and significant recreation benefits. Principal features are 
Norman Dam on Little River about 13 miles east of Norman, two 
pumping plants, and pressure pipelines to serve the three 
cities. No irrigation features or power development are 
included in the project.
    The Bureau of Reclamation received funding several years 
ago to conduct a preliminary investigation (``Appraisal 
Investigation'') of opportunities to supplement the available 
water supplies from the Norman Project. The study found that 
prolonged water supply shortages could be expected as the 
population continues to grow unless improvements to the water 
system are made.
    H.R. 1337 would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to 
conduct a more detailed (``Feasibility Level'') study of a 
proposed project to secure and import nearby water supplies and 
construct additional pipeline and pumping plant capacity.

                            COMMITTEE ACTION

    H.R. 1337 was introduced on March 6, 2007 by Rep. Tom Cole 
(R-OK). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 
Water and Power. In the 109th Congress, the Subcommittee held a 
hearing on almost identical legislation in the form of H.R. 
4987. On April 19, 2007 the Subcommittee met to mark up the 
bill. The bill was approved without amendment and was then 
forwarded to the full Committee. On June 27, 2007, the full 
Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. Rep. Tom 
Cole (R-OK) offered an amendment to increase the appropriations 
authorized in the bill to $900,000. The amendment was approved 
by a voice vote of the Committee and the bill as amended was 
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 
voice vote.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District feasibility 
        study

    Section 1 states that Congress finds that the Central 
Oklahoma Master Conservatory District will require additional 
water supplies and that $900,000 is authorized to conduct a 
study to determine alternatives to augment water supplies for 
the District.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact this bill.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
    2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) 
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this 
bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is 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.
    4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 
3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act 
of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate 
for this bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

H.R. 1337--A bill 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

    H.R. 1337 would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) 
to conduct a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the 
water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservatory 
District and cities served by the District. Assuming 
appropriation of the authorized amount, CBO estimates that BOR 
would spend $900,000 over the 2008-2012 period to complete the 
study. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct 
spending or revenues.
    The legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 
and would impose no costs of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    On May 29, 2007, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 
175, a bill 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 
ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources on May 23, 2007. The two bills are identical, as are 
the CBO cost estimates.
    The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Tyler Kruzich 
and David Reynolds. This estimate was approved by Peter H. 
Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                           EARMARK STATEMENT

    H.R. 1337 does not contain any congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 
clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI.

                PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing 
law.

                                  
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