Making Certain Technical Corrections to Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000
Floor Speech
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3758) to amend the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 to make certain technical corrections.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3758
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. KLAMATH BASIN WATER SUPPLY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2000 TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
Section 4(b) of the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 (114 Stat. 2222; 132 Stat. 3887) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``Pursuant to the reclamation laws and subject'' and inserting ``Subject''; and
(ii) by striking ``may'' and inserting ``is authorized to''; and
(B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, including conservation and efficiency measures, land idling, and use of groundwater,'' after ``administer programs'';
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the end;
(3) by redesignating the second paragraph (4) (relating to the effect of the subsection) as paragraph (5); and
(4) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated)--
(A) by striking subparagraph (B);
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; or'' and inserting a period; and
(C) by striking ``the Secretary--'' and all that follows through ``to develop'' in subparagraph (A) and inserting ``the Secretary to develop''. SEC. 2. CONTINUED USE OF PICK-SLOAN MISSOURI BASIN PROGRAM PROJECT USE POWER BY THE KINSEY IRRIGATION COMPANY AND THE SIDNEY WATER USERS IRRIGATION DISTRICT.
(a) Authorization.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation) shall continue to treat the irrigation pumping units known as the ``Kinsey Irrigation Company'' in Custer County, Montana and the ``Sidney Water Users Irrigation District'' in Richland County, Montana, or any successor to the Kinsey Irrigation Company or Sidney Water Users Irrigation District, as irrigation pumping units of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program for the purposes of wheeling, administration, and payment of project use power, including the applicability of provisions relating to the treatment of costs beyond the ability to pay under section 9 of the Act of December 22, 1944 (commonly known as the ``Flood Control Act of 1944'') (58 Stat. 891, chapter 665).
(b) Limitation.--The quantity of power to be provided to the Kinsey Irrigation Company and the Sidney Water Users Irrigation District (including any successor to the Kinsey Irrigation Company or the Sidney Water Users Irrigation District) under subsection (a) may not exceed the maximum quantity of power provided to the Kinsey Irrigation Company and the Sidney Water Users Irrigation District under the applicable contract for electric service in effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3758, which addresses two issues regarding Bureau of Reclamation water and power management.
First, the bill amends Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 to support water conservation and efficiency measures in the Klamath Basin. This bill provides additional authorization for Reclamation to work with Klamath Basin irrigators on activities that align water supplies and demand.
Further, this legislation would extend the use of drought relief funding to certain conservation measures, land idling, and groundwater uses.
Second, the bill also carries provisions to make two irrigation districts in eastern Montana eligible to continue to receive project use power rates from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the efforts from Senators Merkley and Wyden to advance this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support its adoption.
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Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I, too, commend my colleague, Mr. Walden, for his leadership and trying to bring this together with Mr. Gianforte and finding an answer. I am going to miss my friend deeply so he better stay engaged to make sure we do this right.
I thank Mr. Wittman for working with him this afternoon on the passage of this and several other critical bills. And all the leadership of the Committee on Natural Resources. And, again, what happens when Republicans and Democrats work together, we can really get things done.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help address water conservation and the power challenges in the Klamath Basin.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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