19–006 

112TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 112–442 

LAKE THUNDERBIRD EFFICIENT USE ACT OF 2011 

APRIL 16, 2012.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, from the Committee on Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 3263] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 3263) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow 

the storage and conveyance of nonproject water at the Norman 

project in Oklahoma, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 3263 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow the storage and conveyance of non-project water at 

the Norman Project in Oklahoma. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Lake Thunderbird was developed as part of the federal Norman 

Project in the early 1960s. The Norman Project is located on the 

Little River in central Oklahoma and includes Lake Thunderbird, 

Norman Dam, and a water conveyance pumping and pipeline system that provides supplemental water to the Oklahoma cities of 

Norman, Del City, and Midwest City. Additional uses include flood 

control and recreation. Since 1966, the Central Oklahoma Master 

Conservancy District (District) has operated and maintained the 

Norman Project under contract with the Bureau of Reclamation 

(Reclamation). 

The Lake Thunderbird watershed experienced a major drought in 

2005 and 2006, which resulted in the lowest lake level since the 

dam was constructed. That drought highlighted the need for addiVerDate Mar 15 2010 07:49 Apr 18, 2012 Jkt 019006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR442.XXX HR442

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tional water supply. Reclamation and the District have determined 

that Lake Thunderbird has the capacity to store up to 4,600 acre 

feet of non-project water. The District wants the ability to purchase 

non-project water from Oklahoma City to augment storage in Lake 

Thunderbird during times of drought. 

Reclamation has general authority under the Warren Act of 1911 

to allow for the storage and conveyance of non-project water. However, Reclamation does not have the administrative authority to 

approve the Lake Thunderbird action since the water does not 

originate within the same watershed. H.R. 3263 would give Reclamation such authority by amending the underlying Norman 

Project authorization. All costs, including water costs and environmental planning, would be borne by the water users. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 3263 was introduced on October 26, 2011, by Congressman 

Tom Cole (R–OK). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on 

Water and Power. On December 2, 2011, the Subcommittee held a 

hearing on the bill. On February 29, 2012, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on 

Water and Power was discharged by unanimous consent. No 

amendments were offered and the bill was then ordered favorably 

reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 3263—Lake Thunderbird Efficient Use Act of 2011 

H.R. 3263 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow 

the Norman water project in central Oklahoma to store water conveyed from other projects. Enacting H.R. 3263 would affect direct 

spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation, however, CBO estimates that any impact on net direct spending would be negligible. 

Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues. 


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The Norman Project consists of Norman Dam, Lake Thunderbird, 

and a pipeline system. It provides municipal and industrial water 

and flood protection to nearby communities. In 1966, the operation 

and maintenance responsibilities for the project were transferred 

from the federal government to the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District. 

H.R. 3263 would authorize the bureau to approve the conveyance 

and storage of water from other water projects in Lake Thunderbird. Under the bill, the district would purchase water from Oklahoma City’s Atoka Reservoir by accessing the nearby Atoka pipeline. The district would be required to pay all costs associated with 

constructing any additional facilities and associated operation and 

maintenances costs. Based on information from the bureau, CBO 

estimates that enacting the bill would affect direct spending 

(through the collection and spending of receipts), but such effects 

would not be significant. 

H.R. 3263 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

On January 12, 2012, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 

802, the Lake Thunderbird Efficient Use Act of 2011, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

on November 10, 2011. The two pieces of legislation are similar, 

and the CBO cost estimates are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson. The 

estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would affect direct spending through 

the collection and spending of receipts, but any impact on net direct spending would be negligible. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow the 

storage and conveyance of non-project water at the Norman Project 

in Oklahoma. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4 

This bill contains no unfunded mandates as defined under Public 

Law 104–4.e. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any local or tribal law. 


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CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italic 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

ACT OF JUNE 27, 1960 

(Public Law 86–529) 

AN ACT To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and 

maintain the Norman project, Oklahoma, and for other purposes. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 10. LAKE THUNDERBIRD. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of the Interior determines that 

there is enough excess capacity in the reservoir on the Little River 

known as ‘‘Lake Thunderbird’’ that nonproject water can be stored 

in Lake Thunderbird, the Secretary of the Interior may, in accordance with the reclamation laws, amend an existing contract, or 

enter into 1 or more new contracts, with the Central Oklahoma 

Master Conservancy District for the storage and conveyance of nonproject water in Norman project facilities to augment municipal and 

industrial supplies for the cities served by the Central Oklahoma 

Master Conservancy District. 

(b) COSTS.—If any additional infrastructure is needed to enable 

the storage and conveyance of non-project water in Norman project 

facilities under subsection (a) or any other provision of this Act, the 

costs of constructing, operating, and maintaining the infrastructure 

shall be the responsibility of the non-Federal entity contracting with 

the Secretary of the Interior for storage and conveyance rights. 

Æ 


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