Colusa Basin Watershed Integrated Resources Management Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Colusa Basin Watershed Integrated 
Resources Management Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE.

    The Secretary of the Interior (in this Act referred to as the 
``Secretary'') may provide financial assistance to the Colusa Basin 
Drainage District, California (in this Act referred to as the 
``District''), for use by the District or by local agencies acting 
pursuant to section 413 of the State of California statute known as the 
Colusa Basin Drainage Act (California Stats. 1987, ch. 1399) as in 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act (in this Act referred 
to as the ``State statute''), for planning, design, environmental 
compliance, and construction required in carrying out eligible projects 
in the Colusa Basin Watershed to--
            (1)(A) reduce the risk of damage to urban and agricultural 
        areas from flooding or the discharge of drainage water or 
        tailwater;
            (B) assist in groundwater recharge efforts to alleviate 
        overdraft and land subsidence; or
            (C) construct, restore, or preserve wetland and riparian 
        habitat; and
            (2) capture, as an incidental purpose of any of the 
        purposes referred to in paragraph (1), surface or stormwater 
        for conservation, conjunctive use, and increased water 
        supplies.

SEC. 3. PROJECT SELECTION.

    (a) Eligible Projects.--A project shall be an eligible project for 
purposes of section 2 only if it is--
            (1) identified in the document entitled ``Colusa Basin 
        Water Management Program'', dated February 1995; and
            (2) carried out in accordance with that document and all 
        environmental documentation requirements that apply to the 
        project under the laws of the United States and the State of 
        California.
    (b) Compatibility Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
projects for which assistance is provided under this Act are not 
inconsistent with watershed protection and environmental restoration 
efforts being carried out under the authority of the Central Valley 
Project Improvement Act (Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 4706 et seq.) or 
the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.

SEC. 4. COST SHARING.

    (a) Non-Federal Share.--The Secretary shall require that the 
District and cooperating non-Federal agencies or organizations pay--
            (1) 25 percent of the costs associated with construction of 
        any project carried out with assistance provided under this 
        Act; and
            (2) 100 percent of any operation, maintenance, and 
        replacement and rehabilitation costs with respect to such a 
        project.
    (b) Planning, Design, and Compliance Assistance.--Funds 
appropriated pursuant to this Act may be made available to fund all 
costs incurred for planning, design, and environmental compliance 
activities by the District or by local agencies acting pursuant to the 
State statute, in accordance with agreements with the Secretary.
    (c) Treatment of Contributions.--For purposes of this section, the 
Secretary shall treat the value of lands, interests in lands (including 
rights-of-way and other easements), and necessary relocations 
contributed by the District to a project as a payment by the District 
of the costs of the project.

SEC. 5. COSTS NONREIMBURSABLE.

    Amounts expended pursuant to this Act shall be considered 
nonreimbursable for purposes of the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388; 
43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.), and Acts amendatory thereof and supplemental 
thereto.

SEC. 6. AGREEMENTS.

    Funds appropriated pursuant to this Act may be made available to 
the District or a local agency only if the District or local agency, as 
applicable, has entered into a binding agreement with the Secretary--
            (1) under which the District or the local agency is 
        required to pay the non-Federal share of the costs of 
        construction required by section 4(a); and
            (2) governing the funding of planning, design, and 
        compliance activities costs under section 4(b).

SEC. 7. REIMBURSEMENT.

    For project work (including work associated with studies, planning, 
design, and construction) carried out by the District or by a local 
agency acting pursuant to the State statute in section 2 before the 
date amounts are provided for the project under this Act, the Secretary 
shall, subject to amounts being made available in advance in 
appropriations Acts, reimburse the District or the local agency, 
without interest, an amount equal to the estimated Federal share of the 
cost of such work under section 4.

SEC. 8. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may enter into cooperative 
agreements and contracts with the District to assist the Secretary in 
carrying out the purposes of this Act.
    (b) Subcontracting.--Under such cooperative agreements and 
contracts, the Secretary may authorize the District to manage and let 
contracts and receive reimbursements, subject to amounts being made 
available in advance in appropriations Acts, for work carried out under 
such contracts or subcontracts.

SEC. 9. RELATIONSHIP TO RECLAMATION REFORM ACT OF 1982.

    Activities carried out, and financial assistance provided, under 
this Act shall not be considered a supplemental or additional benefit 
for purposes of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1263; 43 
U.S.C. 390aa et seq.).

SEC. 10. APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this Act $25,000,000, plus such additional amount, if any, as may 
be required by reason of changes in costs of services of the types 
involved in the District's projects as shown by engineering and other 
relevant indexes. Sums appropriated under this section shall remain 
available until expended.
                                     





                                                 

Summary: Colusa Basin Watershed Integrated Resources Management Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance for use by the Colusa Basin Drainage District, California, or by local agencies for planning, design, environmental compliance, and construction required to carry out eligible projects in the Colusa Basin Watershed to: (1) reduce the risk of damage to urban and agricultural areas from flooding or the discharge of drainage water or tailwater. (2) assist in groundwater recharge efforts to alleviate overdraft and land subsidence, or (3) construct, restore or preserve wetland and riparian habitat. And (4) capture surface or stormwater for conservation, conjunctive use, and increased water supplies. Requires the Secretary to ensure that funded projects are not inconsistent with watershed protection and environmental restoration efforts being carried out under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act or the CALFED Bay-Delta Program. Directs the Secretary to require that the District and cooperating non-Federal agencies or organizations pay: (1) 25 percent of project costs. And (2) 100 percent of project operation, maintenance, and replacement and rehabilitation costs. Permits funds appropriated pursuant to this Act to be made available: (1) to fund all costs incurred for planning, design, and environmental compliance activities by the District or by local agencies in accordance with agreements with the Secretary. And (2) only to a District or a local agency that has entered into a binding agreement with the Secretary under which the District or local agency is required to pay the non-Federal share of construction costs and which governs the funding of planning, design, and compliance activities costs. Authorizes appropriations.