I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4886

To provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various

projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States,

and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 2, 1994

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

on Public Works and Transportation

A BILL

To provide for the conservation and development of water

and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the

Army to construct various projects for improvements to

rivers and harbors of the United States, and for other

purposes.

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

3 SECTION 1. KANKAKEE RIVER BASIN COMPREHENSIVE

4 MANAGEMENT PLAN.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
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1 (1) the Kankakee River Basin lies within 2

2 States, Illinois and Indiana, and has an area of ap3 proximately 5,000 square miles;

4 (2) more than 1,000,000 people live in the

5 basin, many of whom live in communities located on

6 the main stem of the Kankakee River, which extends

7 for over 200 miles;

8 (3)(A) the Kankakee River has a number of

9 significant tributaries; and

10 (B) the drainage areas associated with the trib11 utaries are large, with some over several hundred

12 square miles in size;

13 (4) although flooding in the basin is widespread

14 and increasing over time, including the flooding due

15 to ice jams and flooding due to increased rates of

16 sedimentation, there is only 1 small flood control

17 project operating in the basin as of the date of the

18 enactment of this Act; and

19 (5) there is substantial environmental degrada20 tion in the basin that results from sedimentation

21 and other uses of and conditions in the basin.

22 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to require

23 a study of the Kankakee River Basin in order to involve

24 interested Federal, State, and local agencies and private

25 citizens in a cooperative and comprehensive identification
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1 of problems, solutions, and methods for the implementa2 tion of solutions, related to the management of the basin.

3 (c) MASTER PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the

5 Army, in cooperation with other interested Federal, State,

6 and local agencies and private citizens, shall study, and

7 prepare a comprehensive master plan for the management

8 of, the Kankakee River Basin. The study shall focus pri9 marily on basinwide management methods for flood dam10 age reduction, environmental enhancement, and erosion

11 control and may evaluate water quality, the contribution

12 of wetland restoration to environmental and flood control

13 mitigation, land use management, and other related top14 ics.

15 (d) FEASIBILITY REPORT.—Not later than 30

16 months after the date of completion of the study and plan

17 under subsection (c), the Secretary of the Army shall pre18 pare, in accordance with section 905 of the Water Re19 sources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2282), a fea20 sibility report concerning the flood damage reduction

21 measures and environmental enhancement measures de22 scribed in the plan.

23 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

24 are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for the study

25 and preparation of the plan required under subsection (c)
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1 and such sums as may be necessary to prepare the feasibil2 ity report required under subsection (d).

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