I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3241

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine 

the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project 

to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, 

and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin 

between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 2, 2003

Mr. OSBORNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 

study to determine the feasibility of implementing a 

water supply and conservation project to improve water 

supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, 

and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas.

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 Lower Republican 

5 River Basin Study Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY. 

2 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY.—Pursuant to rec3 lamation laws, the Secretary of the Interior, acting 

4 through the Bureau of Reclamation and in consultation 

5 and cooperation with the States of Nebraska, Kansas, and 

6 Colorado, may conduct a study to—

7 (1) determine the feasibility of implementing a 

8 water supply and conservation project that will—

9 (A) improve water supply reliability in the 

10 Republican River Basin between Harlan County 

11 Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas, 

12 including areas in the counties of Harlan, 

13 Franklin, Webster, and Nuckolls in Nebraska 

14 and Jewel, Republic, Cloud, Washington, and 

15 Clay in Kansas (in this section referred to as 

16 the ‘‘Republican River Basin’’); 

17 (B) increase the capacity of water storage 

18 through modifications of existing projects or 

19 through new projects that serve areas in the 

20 Republican River Basin; 

21 (C) improve water management efficiency 

22 in the Republican River Basin through con23 servation and other available means and, where 

24 appropriate, evaluate integrated water resource 

25 management and supply needs in the Repub26 lican River Basin; and 
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1 (2) consider appropriate cost-sharing options 

2 for implementation of the project. 

3 (b) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the cost 

4 of the study shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost 

5 of the study, and shall be nonreimbursable. 

6 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 

7 shall undertake the study through cooperative agreements 

8 with the State of Kansas or Nebraska and other appro9 priate entities determined by the Secretary. 

10 (d) COMPLETION AND REPORT.—

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para12 graph (2), not later than 3 years after the date of 

13 the enactment of this section the Secretary of the 

14 Interior shall complete the study and transmit to the 

15 Congress a report containing the results of the 

16 study. 

17 (2) EXTENSION.—If the Secretary determines 

18 that the study cannot be completed within the 3-year 

19 period beginning on the date of the enactment of 

20 this Act, the Secretary—

21 (A) shall, at the time of that determina22 tion, report to the Congress on the status of the 

23 study, including an estimate of the date of com24 pletion; and 
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1 (B) complete the study and transmit to the 

2 Congress a report containing the results of the 

3 study by not later than that date.

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