[105th Congress Public Law 372]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ372.105]


[[Page 112 STAT. 3377]]

Public Law 105-372
105th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of 
 Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility study and construct a project to 
    reclaim the Salton Sea, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Nov. 12, 
                         1998 -  [H.R. 3267]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Salton Sea 
Reclamation Act of 1998. California.>> 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Salton Sea 
Reclamation Act of 1998''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.

                  TITLE I--SALTON SEA FEASIBILITY STUDY

Sec. 101. Salton Sea Feasibility study authorization.
Sec. 102. Concurrent wildlife resources studies.
Sec. 103. Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge renamed as Sonny Bono 
           Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.

 TITLE II--EMERGENCY ACTION TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN THE ALAMO RIVER 
                              AND NEW RIVER

Sec. 201. Alamo River and New River irrigation drainage water.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``Committees'' means the Committee on Resources 
        and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources and the Committee on Environmental and Public Works of 
        the Senate.
            (2) The term ``Salton Sea Authority'' means the Joint 
        Powers Authority by that name established under the laws of the 
        State of California by a Joint Power Agreement signed on June 2, 
        1993.
            (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation.

                  TITLE I--SALTON SEA FEASIBILITY STUDY

SEC. 101. SALTON SEA FEASIBILITY STUDY AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--No <<NOTE: Deadline.>> later than January 1, 2000, 
the Secretary, in accordance with this section, shall complete all 
feasibility studies

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and cost analyses for the options set forth in subsection (b)(2)(A) 
necessary for Congress to fully evaluate such options.

    (b) Feasibility Study.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) The Secretary shall complete all studies, 
                including, but not limited to environmental and other 
                reviews, of the feasibility and benefit-cost of various 
                options that permit the continued use of the Salton Sea 
                as a reservoir for irrigation drainage and: (i) reduce 
                and stabilize the overall salinity of the Salton Sea; 
                (ii) stabilize the surface elevation of the Salton Sea; 
                (iii) reclaim, in the long term, healthy fish and 
                wildlife resources and their habitats; and (iv) enhance 
                the potential for recreational uses and economic 
                development of the Salton Sea.
                    (B) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Based solely on whatever 
                information is available at the time of submission of 
                the report, the Secretary shall: (i) identify any 
                options he deems economically feasible and cost 
                effective; (ii) identify any additional information 
                necessary to develop construction specifications; and 
                (iii) submit any recommendations, along with the results 
                of the study to the Committees no later than January 1, 
                2000.
                    (C)(i) The Secretary shall carry out the feasibility 
                study in accordance with a memorandum of understanding 
                entered into by the Secretary, the Salton Sea Authority, 
                and the Governor of California.
                    (ii) The memorandum of understanding shall, at a 
                minimum, establish criteria for evaluation and selection 
                of options under subparagraph (2)(A), including criteria 
                for determining benefit and the magnitude and 
                practicability of costs of construction, operation, and 
                maintenance of each option evaluated.
            (2) Options to be considered.--Options considered in the 
        feasibility study--
                    (A) shall consist of, but need not be limited to--
                          (i) use of impoundments to segregate a portion 
                      of the waters of the Salton Sea in one or more 
                      evaporation ponds located in the Salton Sea basin;
                          (ii) pumping water out of the Salton Sea;
                          (iii) augmented flows of water into the Salton 
                      Sea;
                          (iv) a combination of the options referred to 
                      in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii); and
                          (v) any other economically feasible 
                      remediation option the Secretary considers 
                      appropriate and for which feasibility analyses and 
                      cost estimates can be completed by January 1, 
                      2000;
                    (B) shall be limited to proven technologies; and
                    (C) shall not include any option that--
                          (i) relies on the importation of any new or 
                      additional water from the Colorado River; or
                          (ii) is inconsistent with the provisions of 
                      sub-
                      section (c).
            (3) Assumptions.--In evaluating options, the Secretary shall 
        apply assumptions regarding water inflows into the Salton Sea 
        Basin that encourage water conservation, account for transfers 
        of water out of the Salton Sea Basin, and are based

[[Page 112 STAT. 3379]]

        on a maximum likely reduction in inflows into the Salton Sea 
        Basin which could be 800,000 acre-feet or less per year.
            (4) Consideration of costs.--In evaluating the feasibility 
        of options, the Secretary shall consider the ability of Federal, 
        tribal, State and local government sources and private sources 
        to fund capital construction costs and annual operation, 
        maintenance, energy, and replacement costs and shall set forth 
        the basis for any cost sharing allocations as well as 
        anticipated repayment, if any, of Federal contributions.

    (c) Relationship to Other Law.--
            (1) Reclamation laws.--Activities authorized by this Act 
        shall not be subject to the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388; 
        43 U.S.C. 391 et seq.), and Acts amendatory thereof and 
        supplemental thereto. Amounts expended for those activities 
        shall be considered nonreimbursable for purposes of those laws 
        and shall not be considered to be a supplemental or additional 
        benefit for purposes of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (96 
        Stat. 1263; 43 U.S.C. 390aa et seq.).
            (2) Preservation of rights and obligations with respect to 
        the colorado river.--This Act shall not be considered to 
        supersede or otherwise affect any treaty, law, decree, contract, 
        or agreement governing use of water from the Colorado River. All 
        activities taken under this Act must be carried out in a manner 
        consistent with rights and obligations of persons under those 
        treaties, laws, decrees, contracts, and agreements.

SEC. 102. CONCURRENT WILDLIFE RESOURCES STUDIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide for the conduct, 
concurrently with the feasibility study under section 101(b), of studies 
of hydrology, wildlife pathology, and toxicology relating to wildlife 
resources of the Salton Sea by Federal and non-Federal entities.
    (b) Selection of Topics and Management of Studies.--
            (1) In general.--The <<NOTE: Establishment.>> Secretary 
        shall establish a committee to be known as the ``Salton Sea 
        Research Management Committee''. The committee shall select the 
        topics of studies under this section and manage those studies.
            (2) Membership.--The committee shall consist of the 
        following five members:
                    (A) The Secretary.
                    (B) The Governor of California.
                    (C) The Executive Director of the Salton Sea 
                Authority.
                    (D) The Chairman of the Torres Martinez Desert 
                Cahuilla Tribal Government.
                    (E) The Director of the California Water Resources 
                Center.

    (c) Coordination.--The Secretary shall require that studies under 
this section are coordinated through the Science Subcommittee which 
reports to the Salton Sea Research Management Committee. In addition to 
the membership provided for by the Science Subcommittee's charter, 
representatives shall be invited from the University of California, 
Riverside; the University of Redlands; San Diego State University; the 
Imperial Valley College; and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
    (d) Peer Review.--The Secretary shall require that studies under 
this section are subjected to peer review.

[[Page 112 STAT. 3380]]

    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For wildlife resources studies 
under this section there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary, through accounts within the Fish and Wildlife Service, 
exclusively, $5,000,000.
    (f ) Advisory Committee Act.--The committee, and its activities, are 
not subject to the Federal Advisory Commission Act (5 U.S.C. App.).

SEC. 103. <<NOTE: 16 USC 668dd note [table].>> SALTON SEA NATIONAL 
            WILDLIFE REFUGE RENAMED AS SONNY BONO SALTON SEA NATIONAL 
            WILDLIFE REFUGE.

    (a) Refuge Renamed.--The Salton Sea National Wildlife 
Refuge, located in Imperial County, California, is hereby renamed and 
shall be known as the ``Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife 
Refuge''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in any statute, rule, regulation, 
Executive order, publication, map, or paper or other document of the 
United States to the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is deemed to 
refer to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.

                     TITLE II--EMERGENCY ACTION TO 
         IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN THE ALAMO RIVER AND NEW RIVER

SEC. 201. ALAMO RIVER AND NEW RIVER IRRIGATION DRAINAGE WATER.

    (a) River Enhancement.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized and directed to 
        promptly conduct research and construct river reclamation and 
        wetlands projects to improve water quality in the Alamo River 
        and New River, Imperial County, California, by treating water in 
        those rivers and irrigation drainage water that flows into those 
        rivers.
            (2) Acquisitions.--The Secretary may acquire equipment, real 
        property from willing sellers, and interests in real property 
        (including site access) from willing sellers as needed to 
        implement actions under this section if the State of California, 
        a political subdivision of the State, or Desert Wildlife 
        Unlimited has entered into an agreement with the Secretary under 
        which the State, subdivision, or Desert Wildlife Unlimited, 
        respectively, will, effective 1 year after the date that systems 
        for which the acquisitions are made are operational and 
        functional--
                    (A) accept all right, title, and interest in and to 
                the equipment, property, or interests; and
                    (B) assume responsibility for operation and 
                maintenance of the equipment, property, or interests.
            (3) Transfer <<NOTE: Deadline.>> of title.--Not later than 1 
        year after the date a system developed under this section is 
        operational and functional, the Secretary shall transfer all 
        right, title, and interest of the United States in and to all 
        equipment, property, and interests acquired for the system in 
        accordance with the applicable agreement under paragraph (2).
            (4) Monitoring and other actions.--The Secretary shall 
        establish a long-term monitoring program to maximize the

[[Page 112 STAT. 3381]]

        effectiveness of any wetlands developed under this title and may 
        implement other actions to improve the efficacy of actions 
        implemented pursuant to this section.

    (b) Cooperation.--The Secretary shall implement subsection (a) in 
cooperation with Desert Wildlife Unlimited, the Imperial Irrigation 
District, California, and other interested persons.
    (c) Federal Water Pollution Control.--Water withdrawn solely for the 
purpose of a wetlands project to improve water quality under subsection 
(a)(1), when returned to the Alamo River or New River, shall not be 
required to meet water quality standards under the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For river reclamation and 
other irrigation drainage water treatment actions under this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $3,000,000.

    Approved November 12, 1998.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 3267:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 105-621, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 144 (1998):
            July 15, considered and passed House.
            Oct. 13, considered and passed Senate, amended.
            Oct. 21, House concurred in Senate amendments.

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