May 8, 2007

ReceivedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

May 9, 2007

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural ResourcesCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Lower Republican River Basin Study Act'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY.

(a) Authorization of Study- Pursuant to reclamation laws, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and in consultation and cooperation with the States of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado, may conduct a study to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project that will--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) improve water supply reliability in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas, including areas in the counties of Harlan, Franklin, Webster, and Nuckolls in Nebraska and Jewel, Republic, Cloud, Washington, and Clay in Kansas (in this section referred to as the `Republican River Basin');CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) increase the capacity of water storage through modifications of existing projects or through new projects that serve areas in the Republican River Basin; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin through conservation and other available means and, where appropriate, evaluate integrated water resource management and supply needs in the Republican River Basin; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) consider appropriate cost-sharing options for implementation of the project.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Cost Sharing- The Federal share of the cost of the study shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the study, and shall be nonreimbursable.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Cooperative Agreements- The Secretary shall undertake the study through cooperative agreements with the State of Kansas or Nebraska and other appropriate entities determined by the Secretary.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Completion and Report-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section the Secretary of the Interior shall complete the study and transmit to the Congress a report containing the results of the study.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) EXTENSION- If the Secretary determines that the study cannot be completed within the 3-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) shall, at the time of that determination, report to the Congress on the status of the study, including an estimate of the date of completion; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) complete the study and transmit to the Congress a report containing the results of the study by not later than that date.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Sunset of Authority- 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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Passed the House of Representatives May 7, 2007. Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, Clerk. Calendar No. 670 CommentsClose CommentsPermalink