I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 550 

To amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and 

Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities 

under that Act, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2011 

Mr. HINOJOSA (for himself, Mr. REYES, and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources 

Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize 

additional projects and activities under that Act, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lower Rio Grande Val5 ley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act 

6 of 2011’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AND 

2 ACTIVITIES UNDER THE LOWER RIO GRANDE 

3 WATER CONSERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT 

4 PROGRAM. 

5 (a) ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.—Section 4(a) of the 

6 Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation 

7 and Improvement Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–576; 114 

8 Stat. 3067) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(20) In Cameron County, Texas, Bayview Irri10 gation District No. 11, water conservation and im11 provement projects as identified in the March 3, 

12 2004, engineering report by NRS Consulting Engi13 neers at a cost of $1,425,219. 

14 ‘‘(21) In the Cameron County, Texas, Browns15 ville Irrigation District, water conservation and im16 provement projects as identified in the February 11, 

17 2004, engineering report by NRS Consulting Engi18 neers at a cost of $722,100. 

19 ‘‘(22) In the Cameron County, Texas Harlingen 

20 Irrigation District No. 1, water conservation and im21 provement projects as identified in the March 2004 

22 engineering report by Axiom-Blair Engineering at a 

23 cost of $4,173,950. 

24 ‘‘(23) In the Cameron County, Texas, Cameron 

25 County Irrigation District No. 2, water conservation 

26 and improvement projects as identified in the FebVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:11 Feb 10, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H550.IH H550

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1 ruary 11, 2004, engineering report by NRS Con2 sulting Engineers at a cost of $8,269,576. 

3 ‘‘(24) In the Cameron County, Texas, Cameron 

4 County Irrigation District No. 6, water conservation 

5 and improvement projects as identified in an engi6 neering report by Turner Collie Braden, Inc., at a 

7 cost of $5,607,300. 

8 ‘‘(25) In the Cameron County, Texas, Adams 

9 Gardens Irrigation District No. 19, water conserva10 tion and improvement projects as identified in the 

11 March 2004 engineering report by Axiom-Blair En12 gineering at a cost of $2,500,000. 

13 ‘‘(26) In the Hidalgo and Cameron Counties, 

14 Texas, Hidalgo and Cameron Counties Irrigation 

15 District No. 9, water conservation and improvement 

16 projects as identified by the February 11 engineer17 ing report by NRS Consulting Engineers at a cost 

18 of $8,929,152. 

19 ‘‘(27) In the Hidalgo and Willacy Counties, 

20 Texas, Delta Lake Irrigation District, water con21 servation and improvement projects as identified in 

22 the March 2004 engineering report by Axiom-Blair 

23 Engineering at a cost of $8,000,000. 

24 ‘‘(28) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Hidalgo 

25 County Irrigation District No. 2, a water conservaVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:11 Feb 10, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H550.IH H550

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1 tion and improvement project identified in the engi2 neering reports attached to a letter dated February 

3 11, 2004, from the district’s general manager, at a 

4 cost of $5,312,475. 

5 ‘‘(29) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Hidalgo 

6 County Irrigation District No. 1, water conservation 

7 and improvement projects identified in an engineer8 ing report dated March 5, 2004, by Melden and 

9 Hunt, Inc. at a cost of $5,595,018. 

10 ‘‘(30) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Hidalgo 

11 County Irrigation District No. 6, water conservation 

12 and improvement projects as identified in the March 

13 2004 engineering report by Axiom-Blair Engineering 

14 at a cost of $3,450,000. 

15 ‘‘(31) In the Hidalgo County, Texas Santa 

16 Cruz Irrigation District No. 15, water conservation 

17 and improvement projects as identified in an engi18 neering report dated March 5, 2004, by Melden and 

19 Hunt at a cost of $4,609,000. 

20 ‘‘(32) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Engelman 

21 Irrigation District, water conservation and improve22 ment projects as identified in an engineering report 

23 dated March 5, 2004, by Melden and Hunt, Inc. at 

24 a cost of $2,251,480. 


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1 ‘‘(33) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Valley 

2 Acres Water District, water conservation and im3 provement projects as identified in an engineering 

4 report dated March 2004 by Axiom-Blair Engineer5 ing at a cost of $500,000. 

6 ‘‘(34) In the Hudspeth County, Texas, 

7 Hudspeth County Conservation and Reclamation 

8 District No. 1, water conservation and improvement 

9 projects as identified in the March 2004 engineering 

10 report by Axiom-Blair Engineering at a cost of 

11 $1,500,000. 

12 ‘‘(35) In the El Paso County, Texas, El Paso 

13 County Water Improvement District No. 1, water 

14 conservation and improvement projects as identified 

15 in the March 2004 engineering report by Axiom16 Blair Engineering at a cost of $10,500,000. 

17 ‘‘(36) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Donna Ir18 rigation District, water conservation and improve19 ment projects identified in an engineering report 

20 dated March 22, 2004, by Melden and Hunt, Inc. at 

21 a cost of $2,500,000. 

22 ‘‘(37) In the Hidalgo County, Texas, Hidalgo 

23 County Irrigation District No. 16, water conserva24 tion and improvement projects identified in an engiVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:11 Feb 10, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H550.IH H550

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1 neering report dated March 22, 2004, by Melden 

2 and Hunt, Inc. at a cost of $2,800,000. 

3 ‘‘(38) The United Irrigation District of Hidalgo 

4 County water conservation and improvement 

5 projects as identified in a March 2004 engineering 

6 report by Sigler Winston, Greenwood and Associates 

7 at a cost of $6,067,021.’’. 

8 (b) INCLUSION OF ACTIVITIES TO CONSERVE WATER

9 OR IMPROVE SUPPLY; TRANSFERS AMONG PROJECTS.— 

10 Section 4 of such Act (Public Law 106–576; 114 Stat. 

11 3067) is further amended by redesignating subsection (c) 

12 as subsection (e), and by inserting after subsection (b) the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(c) INCLUSION OF ACTIVITIES TO CONSERVE

15 WATER OR IMPROVE SUPPLY.—In addition to the activi16 ties identified in the engineering reports referred to in 

17 subsection (a), each project that the Secretary conducts 

18 or participates in under subsection (a) may include any 

19 of the following: 

20 ‘‘(1) The replacement of irrigation canals and 

21 lateral canals with buried pipelines. 

22 ‘‘(2) The impervious lining of irrigation canals 

23 and lateral canals. 

24 ‘‘(3) Installation of water level, flow measure25 ment, pump control, and telemetry systems. 


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1 ‘‘(4) The renovation and replacement of pump2 ing plants. 

3 ‘‘(5) Other activities that will result in the con4 servation of water or an improved supply of water. 

5 ‘‘(d) TRANSFERS AMONG PROJECTS.—Of amounts 

6 made available for a project referred to in any of para7 graphs (20) through (38) of subsection (a), the Secretary 

8 may transfer and use for another such project up to 10 

9 percent.’’. 

10 SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 

11 LOWER RIO GRANDE CONSTRUCTION. 

12 Section 4(e) of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water 

13 Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 

14 (Public Law 106–576; 114 Stat. 3067), as redesignated 

15 by section 2(b) of this Act, is further amended by inserting 

16 before the period the following: ‘‘for projects referred to 

17 in paragraphs (1) through (19) of subsection (a), and 

18 $42,356,145 (2004 dollars) for projects referred to in 

19 paragraphs (20) through (38) of subsection (a)’’. 

Æ 


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