IB 

Union Calendar No. 692 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7938 

[Report No. 118–847] 

To amend the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 

to provide the Secretary of the Interior with certain authorities with 

respect to projects affecting the Klamath Basin watershed, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 11, 2024 

Mr. BENTZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources 

DECEMBER 10, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 11, 2024] 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 7938 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement 

Act of 2000 to provide the Secretary of the Interior 

with certain authorities with respect to projects affecting 

the Klamath Basin watershed, and for other purposes. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 7938 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Klamath Basin Water 

5 Agreement Support Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. KLAMATH PROJECT WATER AND POWER. 

7 (a) ADDRESSING WATER, POWER, AND FACILITIES

8 MANAGEMENT FOR IRRIGATION.—Section 4 of the Klamath 

9 Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 (Public 

10 Law 106–498) is amended by adding at the end the fol11 lowing: 

12 ‘‘(d) RESTORATION ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary 

13 may— 

14 ‘‘(1) plan, design, construct, operate, and main15 tain projects in the Klamath Basin watershed, includ16 ing— 

17 ‘‘(A) facilities to reduce fish entrainment; 

18 ‘‘(B) projects that reduce or avoid impacts 

19 on aquatic resources of facilities involved in the 

20 storage or diversion of water for irrigation in the 

21 Klamath Project service area; and 

22 ‘‘(C) projects that restore habitats in the 

23 Klamath Basin watershed, including Tribal fish24 ery resources held in trust; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 7938 RH

1 ‘‘(2) undertake studies, including feasibility 

2 studies, and improvements that the Secretary deter3 mines to be necessary to implement this subsection; 

4 ‘‘(3) in implementing this subsection, enter into 

5 contracts, memoranda of understanding, financial as6 sistance agreements, cost-sharing agreements, or other 

7 appropriate agreements with— 

8 ‘‘(A) State, Tribal, and local governmental 

9 agencies; and 

10 ‘‘(B) private parties; and 

11 ‘‘(4) accept and expend non-Federal funds in 

12 order to facilitate implementation of this subsection. 

13 ‘‘(e) GOALS.—The goals of activities under subsections 

14 (b) and (d) shall include, as applicable— 

15 ‘‘(1) the short-term and long-term reduction and 

16 resolution of conflicts relating to water in the Klam17 ath Basin watershed; and 

18 ‘‘(2) compatibility and utility for protecting nat19 ural resources throughout the Klamath Basin water20 shed, including the protection, preservation, and res21 toration of Klamath River Tribal fishery resources, 

22 particularly through collaboratively developed agree23 ments. 

24 ‘‘(f) PUMPING PLANT D.—The Secretary may enter 

25 into 1 or more agreements with the Tulelake Irrigation DisVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:49 Dec 11, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H7938.RH H7938

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 7938 RH

1 trict to reimburse the Tulelake Irrigation District for not 

2 more than 69 percent of the cost incurred by the Tulelake 

3 Irrigation District for the operation and maintenance of 

4 Pumping Plant D, subject to the condition that the cost re5 sults in benefits to the United States. 

6 ‘‘(g) INFRASTRUCTURE.— 

7 ‘‘(1) KENO AND LINK RIVER DAMS.—The Sec8 retary of the Interior shall comply with the terms of 

9 the agreement entitled ‘2016 Klamath Power and Fa10 cilities Agreement’(‘Agreement’), including Attach11 ment A to the Agreement. 

12 ‘‘(2) REPLACEMENT OF C CANAL FLUME.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The replacement of the 

14 C Canal flume within the Klamath Project shall 

15 be considered to be, and shall receive the treat16 ment authorized for, qualified emergency ex17 traordinary operation and maintenance work in 

18 accordance with Federal reclamation law (the 

19 Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388, chapter 

20 1093), and Acts supplemental to and amend21 atory of that Act (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.)). 

22 ‘‘(B) CONTRACT.— 

23 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

24 days after the date of receipt of a request 

25 from the Klamath Irrigation District to 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 7938 RH

1 enter into a contract with that district to 

2 amend the contract numbered 16–WC–20– 

3 4838, the Secretary shall enter into a con4 tract with the Klamath Irrigation District 

5 providing that under the contract entered 

6 into under this subparagraph— 

7 ‘‘(I) 35 percent of the total repay8 ment obligation is nonreimbursable to 

9 the United States; and 

10 ‘‘(II) 65 percent of the total re11 payment obligation shall be repaid to 

12 the United States over a period of 50 

13 years. 

14 ‘‘(ii) INCLUSION.—Although the Sec15 retary shall not condition the agreement to 

16 the contract entered into under subpara17 graph (A) on any other term, the contract 

18 may include other terms that are not less 

19 favorable to the contractor than contract 

20 numbered 16–WC–20–4838.’’. 

21 (b) ADMINISTRATION; EFFECT.— 

22 (1) COMPLIANCE.—In implementing the amend23 ments made by this section, the Secretary of the Inte24 rior shall comply with— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 7938 RH

1 (A) the National Environmental Policy Act 

2 of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 

3 (B) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 

4 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and 

5 (C) all other applicable laws. 

6 (2) EFFECT.—None of the amendments made by 

7 this section— 

8 (A) modify any authority or obligation of 

9 the United States with respect to any Tribal 

10 trust or treaty obligation of the United States; 

11 (B) create or determine any water right; or 

12 (C) affect any water right or water right 

13 claim in existence on the date of the enactment 

14 of this Act. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
Union Calendar No. 692 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7938 

[Report No. 118–847] 

A BILL 

To amend the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enwatershed, and for other purposes. spect to projects affecting the Klamath Basin of the Interior with certain authorities with re- hancement Act of 2000 to provide the Secretary 

DECEMBER 10, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB