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Wednesday
March 27, 2002 Abstract: For more than a century, the federal government has constructed water resource projects for a variety of purposes including flood control, navigation, power generation, and irrigation. Most of the large water supply projects in the West, including Hoover and Grand Coulee dams, were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau), in the Department of the Interior. Growing populations and changing values have increased demands on water supplies and river systems, resulting in water use and management conflicts throughout the country, particularly in the West, where the population is expected to increase 30% in the next 20-25 years. In many western states, agricultural needs are often in direct conflict with urban needs, as well as with water demand for threatened and endangered species, recreation, and scenic enjoyment. Debate over western water resources revolves around the issue of how best to plan for and manage the use of this renewable, yet sometimes scarce and increasingly sought after, resource. Some observers advocate enhancing water supplies, by building, for example, new storage or diversion projects, expanding old ones, or funding water reclamation and reuse facilities. Others emphasize the need to manage existing supplies more efficiently — through conservation, revision of policies that encourage inefficient use of water, and establishment of market mechanisms to allocate water according to users’ willingness to pay. The 106 th Congress re-authorized construction of two major water resource development projects, a modified version of the Animas-La Plata project in Southwest Colorado and a scaled-back version of the Garrison Diversion project, after decades of debate over how or whether the projects ought to be reauthorized. Additionally, ten title transfer bills were enacted during the 106 th Congress as well as authorization for several rural water supply projects. Oversight of ongoing agency activities, such as project operations and restoration activities affecting the delta confluence of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers at the San Francisco Bay (Bay-Delta/ CALFED), and the Colorado and Columbia Rivers were also discussed. The 107 th Congress is considering a number of bills on western water issues, including several title transfer and wastewater reclamation and reuse bills. Several bills addressing implementation of the CALFED program have been introduced. Additionally, several oversight issues are likely to remain, including oversight of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (e.g., contract renewals and water allocation), and management of the Columbia, Snake, and Colorado River Systems. The 107 th Congress may also consider one or more Indian water rights settlement bills. In light of events September 11, 2001, the Congress may also review security precautions and appropriations levels for security activities related to protecting the Bureau’s critical infrastructure. If you have Adobe's Acrobat Reader installed, you can click on the link below and read the report online. If you prefer to download it, right click on the link and choose "Save Target As" |
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