A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the States on the border with Mexico and other appropriate entities in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, and modeling program for priority transboundary aquifers, and for other purposes.

Summary: United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act - (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to carry out a United States-Mexico transboundary aquifer assessment program to characterize, map, and model transboundary groundwater resources along the U.S.-Mexico border, in consultation and cooperation with the States of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas (border States), the water resources research institutes (WRRIs) within the border States established under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, Sandia National Laboratories, and other appropriate entities in the United States and Mexico.

Sets forth as the objectives of the program to: (1) develop and implement an integrated scientific approach to assess transboundary groundwater resources, including by prioritizing aquifers for further analysis; (2) expand existing agreements between the U.S. Geological Survey, the border States, the WRRIs, and appropriate authorities in the United States and Mexico to conduct joint scientific investigations, archive and share relevant data, and carry out any other activities consistent with the program; and (3) produce scientific products for each priority aquifer that are capable of being broadly distributed and that provide the scientific information needed by water managers and natural resource agencies on both sides of the border to effectively accomplish their missions.

Directs the Secretary to designate priority aquifers, including: (1) the Hueco Bolson and Mesilla aquifers underlying parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico; and (2) the Santa Cruz River Valley aquifers underlying Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. . Directs the Secretary to work with appropriate Federal agencies and other organizations to develop partnerships with, and receive input from, relevant organizations in Mexico to carry out the program. Authorizes the Secretary to provide grants or enter into cooperative and other agreements with the WRRIs and other border State entities to carry out the program.

(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to coordinate the activities carried out under the program with: (1) the appropriate water resource agencies in the border States; (2) any affected Indian tribes; and (3) any other appropriate entities that are conducting monitoring and metering activity with respect to a priority aquifer. Prohibits the Secretary from initiating any new field studies or analyses under the program before consulting and coordinating with any border State water resource agencies with jurisdiction.

Requires the Secretary to work with appropriate border State water resource agencies, WRRIs, and other relevant entities to develop a study plan, timeline, and cost estimate for each priority aquifer to be studied. Directs that such study plan: (1) integrate existing data collection and analyses; (2) improve and strengthen existing groundwater flow models; and (3) be consistent with appropriate State guidelines and goals.

(Sec. 6) Declares that nothing in this Act affects: (1) the jurisdiction or responsibility of a border State to manage surface or groundwater resources in the State; or (2) the water rights of any person or entity using water from an aquifer.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary, not later than five years after this Act's enactment and on completion of the program in FY 2014, to submit to the appropriate water resource agencies in the border States an interim and final report that describes activities carried out, conclusions relating to the status of aquifers, and participation of entities in Mexico.

(Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through 2014. Directs that 50 percent of such amounts be made available to the WRRIs to provide funding to appropriate entities in the border States and Mexico to conduct activities under the program, including the binational collection and exchange of scientific data.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Mexico Transboundary 
Aquifer Assessment Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to direct the Secretary of the Interior 
to establish a United States-Mexico transboundary aquifer assessment 
program to--
            (1) systematically assess priority transboundary aquifers; 
        and
            (2) provide the scientific foundation necessary for State 
        and local officials to address pressing water resource 
        challenges in the United States-Mexico border region.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Aquifer.--The term ``aquifer'' means a subsurface 
        water-bearing geologic formation from which significant 
        quantities of water may be extracted.
            (2) Border state.--The term ``Border State'' means each of 
        the States of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' means an 
        Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or 
        community--
                    (A) that is recognized as eligible for the special 
                programs and services provided by the United States to 
                Indians because of their status as Indians; and
                    (B) the reservation of which includes a 
                transboundary aquifer within the exterior boundaries of 
                the reservation.
            (4) Priority transboundary aquifer.--The term ``priority 
        transboundary aquifer'' means a transboundary aquifer that has 
        been designated for study and analysis under the program.
            (5) Program.--The term ``program'' means the United States-
        Mexico transboundary aquifer assessment program established 
        under section 4(a).
            (6) Reservation.--The term ``reservation'' means land that 
        has been set aside or that has been acknowledged as having been 
        set aside by the United States for the use of an Indian tribe, 
        the exterior boundaries of which are more particularly defined 
        in a final tribal treaty, agreement, executive order, Federal 
        statute, secretarial order, or judicial determination.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United 
        States Geological Survey.
            (8) Transboundary aquifer.--The term ``transboundary 
        aquifer'' means an aquifer that underlies the boundary between 
        the United States and Mexico.
            (9) Tri-regional planning group.--The term ``Tri-Regional 
        Planning Group'' means the binational planning group comprised 
        of--
                    (A) the Junta Municipal de Agua y Saneamiento de 
                Ciudad Juarez;
                    (B) the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service 
                Board; and
                    (C) the Lower Rio Grande Water Users Organization.
            (10) Water resources research institutes.--The term ``water 
        resources research institutes'' means the institutes within the 
        Border States established under section 104 of the Water 
        Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303).

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation and cooperation 
with the Border States, the water resources research institutes, Sandia 
National Laboratories, and other appropriate entities in the United 
States and Mexico, shall carry out the United States-Mexico 
transboundary aquifer assessment program to characterize, map, and 
model transboundary groundwater resources along the United States-
Mexico border at a level of detail determined to be appropriate for the 
particular aquifer.
    (b) Objectives.--The objectives of the program are to--
            (1) develop and implement an integrated scientific approach 
        to assess transboundary groundwater resources, including--
                    (A)(i) identifying fresh and saline transboundary 
                aquifers; and
                    (ii) prioritizing the transboundary aquifers for 
                further analysis by assessing--
                            (I) the proximity of the transboundary 
                        aquifer to areas of high population density;
                            (II) the extent to which the transboundary 
                        aquifer is used;
                            (III) the susceptibility of the 
                        transboundary aquifer to contamination; and
                            (IV) any other relevant criteria;
                    (B) evaluating all available data and publications 
                as part of the development of study plans for each 
                priority transboundary aquifer;
                    (C) creating a new, or enhancing an existing, 
                geographic information system database to characterize 
                the spatial and temporal aspects of each priority 
                transboundary aquifer; and
                    (D) using field studies, including support for and 
                expansion of ongoing monitoring and metering efforts, 
                to develop--
                            (i) the additional data necessary to 
                        adequately define aquifer characteristics; and
                            (ii) scientifically sound groundwater flow 
                        models to assist with State and local water 
                        management and administration, including 
                        modeling of relevant groundwater and surface 
                        water interactions;
            (2) expand existing agreements, as appropriate, between the 
        United States Geological Survey, the Border States, the water 
        resources research institutes, and appropriate authorities in 
        the United States and Mexico, to--
                    (A) conduct joint scientific investigations;
                    (B) archive and share relevant data; and
                    (C) carry out any other activities consistent with 
                the program; and
            (3) produce scientific products for each priority 
        transboundary aquifer that--
                    (A) are capable of being broadly distributed; and
                    (B) provide the scientific information needed by 
                water managers and natural resource agencies on both 
                sides of the United States-Mexico border to effectively 
                accomplish the missions of the managers and agencies.
    (c) Designation of Priority Transboundary Aquifers.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of the program, the Secretary 
        shall designate as priority transboundary aquifers--
                    (A) the Hueco Bolson and Mesilla aquifers 
                underlying parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico; and
                    (B) the Santa Cruz River Valley aquifers underlying 
                Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.
            (2) Additional aquifers.--The Secretary shall, using the 
        criteria under subsection (b)(1)(A)(ii), evaluate and designate 
        additional priority transboundary aquifers.
    (d) Cooperation With Mexico.--To ensure a comprehensive assessment 
of transboundary aquifers, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent 
practicable, work with appropriate Federal agencies and other 
organizations to develop partnerships with, and receive input from, 
relevant organizations in Mexico to carry out the program.
    (e) Grants and Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may provide 
grants or enter into cooperative agreements and other agreements with 
the water resources research institutes and other Border State entities 
to carry out the program.

SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAM.

    (a) Coordination With States, Tribes, and Other Entities.--The 
Secretary shall coordinate the activities carried out under the program 
with--
            (1) the appropriate water resource agencies in the Border 
        States;
            (2) any affected Indian tribes; and
            (3) any other appropriate entities that are conducting 
        monitoring and metering activity with respect to a priority 
        transboundary aquifer.
    (b) New Activity.--After the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall not initiate any new field studies or analyses under 
the program before consulting with, and coordinating the activity with, 
any Border State water resource agencies that have jurisdiction over 
the aquifer.
    (c) Study Plans; Cost Estimates.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall work closely with 
        appropriate Border State water resource agencies, water 
        resources research institutes, and other relevant entities to 
        develop a study plan, timeline, and cost estimate for each 
        priority transboundary aquifer to be studied under the program.
            (2) Requirements.--A study plan developed under paragraph 
        (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable--
                    (A) integrate existing data collection and analyses 
                conducted with respect to the priority transboundary 
                aquifer;
                    (B) if applicable, improve and strengthen existing 
                groundwater flow models developed for the priority 
                transboundary aquifer; and
                    (C) be consistent with appropriate State guidelines 
                and goals.

SEC. 6. EFFECT.

    Nothing in this Act affects--
            (1) the jurisdiction or responsibility of a Border State 
        with respect to managing surface or groundwater resources in 
        the Border State; or
            (2) the water rights of any person or entity using water 
        from a transboundary aquifer.

SEC. 7. REPORTS.

    Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
on completion of the program in fiscal year 2014, the Secretary shall 
submit to the appropriate water resource agency in the Border States, 
an interim and final report, respectively, that describes--
            (1) any activities carried out under the program;
            (2) any conclusions of the Secretary relating to the status 
        of transboundary aquifers; and
            (3) the level of participation in the program of entities 
        in Mexico.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2005 through 
2014.
    (b) Distribution of Funds.--Of the amounts made available under 
subsection (a), 50 percent shall be made available to the water 
resources research institutes to provide funding to appropriate 
entities in the Border States (including Sandia National Laboratories, 
State agencies, universities, the Tri-Regional Planning Group, and 
other relevant organizations) and Mexico to conduct

 activities under the program, including the binational collection and 
exchange of scientific data.

            Passed the Senate September 15, 2004.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.