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Union Calendar No. 372 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4750 

[Report No. 109–632] 

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 

FEBRUARY 14, 2006 

Mr. OSBORNE (for himself and Mr. MORAN of Kansas) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 

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 February 14, 2006] 

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 RepubVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:22 Sep 07, 2006 Jkt 039196 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H4750.RH H4750

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•HR 4750 RH

lican 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 River 

5 Basin Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN FEASIBILITY STUDY. 

7 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF STUDY.—Pursuant to rec8 lamation laws, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through 

9 the Bureau of Reclamation and in consultation and co10 operation with the States of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colo11 rado, may conduct a study to— 

12 (1) determine the feasibility of implementing a 

13 water supply and conservation project that will— 

14 (A) improve water supply reliability in the 

15 Republican River Basin between Harlan County 

16 Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas, 

17 including areas in the counties of Harlan, 

18 Franklin, Webster, and Nuckolls in Nebraska 

19 and Jewel, Republic, Cloud, Washington, and 

20 Clay in Kansas (in this section referred to as the 

21 ‘‘Republican River Basin’’); 

22 (B) increase the capacity of water storage 

23 through modifications of existing projects or 


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1 through new projects that serve areas in the Re2 publican River Basin; and 

3 (C) improve water management efficiency 

4 in the Republican River Basin through conserva5 tion and other available means and, where ap6 propriate, evaluate integrated water resource 

7 management and supply needs in the Republican 

8 River Basin; and 

9 (2) consider appropriate cost-sharing options for 

10 implementation of the project. 

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

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

13 the study, and shall be nonreimbursable. 

14 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

15 undertake the study through cooperative agreements with 

16 the State of Kansas or Nebraska and other appropriate enti17 ties determined by the Secretary. 

18 (d) COMPLETION AND REPORT.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para20 graph (2), not later than 3 years after the date of the 

21 enactment of this section the Secretary of the Interior 

22 shall complete the study and transmit to the Congress 

23 a report containing the results of the study. 

24 (2) EXTENSION.—If the Secretary determines 

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


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1 period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 

2 Act, the Secretary— 

3 (A) shall, at the time of that determination, 

4 report to the Congress on the status of the study, 

5 including an estimate of the date of completion; 

6 and 

7 (B) complete the study and transmit to the 

8 Congress a report containing the results of the 

9 study by not later than that date. 

10 (e) SUNSET OF AUTHORITY.—The authority of the Sec11 retary to carry out any provisions of this Act shall termi12 nate 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 


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Union Calendar No. 372 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4750 

[Report No. 109

–632] 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conand Milford Lake in Kansas. Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska management efficiency in the Republican River capacity of water storage, and improve water to improve water supply reliability, increase the menting a water supply and conservation project duct a study to determine the feasibility of impleSEPTEMBER 6, 2006 

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


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