113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 723 

AN ACT 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 

a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and 

Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of Connecticut and 

Rhode Island for study for potential addition to the 

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other 

purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Wood-Pawcatuck Wa5 tershed Protection Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, AND 

7 PAWCATUCK RIVERS STUDY. 

8 (a) DESIGNATION FOR STUDY.—Section 5(a) of the 

9 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amend10 ed by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(ll) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, 

12 AND PAWCATUCK RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CON13 NECTICUT.—The approximately 10-mile segment of 

14 the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, 

15 Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck 

16 River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the 

17 Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its out18 let into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile 

19 segment of the upper Queen River from its head20 waters to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, 

21 Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the 

22 approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen 

23 (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to 

24 its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the ap25 proximately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood 
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1 River from its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in 

2 Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and includ3 ing all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile seg4 ment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill 

5 Road to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; 

6 the approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck 

7 River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road 

8 (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Is9 land; and the approximately 7-mile segment of the 

10 lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck Hill Road to 

11 Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and 

12 Westerly, Rhode Island.’’. 

13 (b) STUDY AND REPORT.—Section 5(b) of the Wild 

14 and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended 

15 by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(ll) BEAVER, CHIPUXET, QUEEN, WOOD, 

17 AND PAWCATUCK RIVERS, RHODE ISLAND AND CON18 NECTICUT.—Not later than 3 years after the date on 

19 which funds are made available to carry out this 

20 paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall— 

21 ‘‘(A) complete the study of the Beaver, 

22 Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, 

23 Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in 

24 subsection (a)(ll); 
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1 ‘‘(B) submit a report describing the results 

2 of that study to the appropriate committees of 

3 Congress; 

4 ‘‘(C) include in the report under subpara5 graph (B) the effect of the designation under 

6 this Act on— 

7 ‘‘(i) existing commercial and rec8 reational activities, such as hunting, fish9 ing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor 

10 boat use, or bridge construction; 

11 ‘‘(ii) the authorization, construction, 

12 operation, maintenance, or improvement of 

13 energy production and transmission infra14 structure; and 

15 ‘‘(iii) the authority of State and local 

16 governments to manage those activities en17 compassed in clauses (i) and (ii); and 

18 ‘‘(D) identify— 

19 ‘‘(i) all authorities that will authorize 

20 or require the Secretary to influence local 

21 land use decisions (such as zoning) or 

22 place restrictions on non-Federal land if 

23 the area studied is designated under this 

24 paragraph; 
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1 ‘‘(ii) all authorities that the Secretary 

2 may use to condemn property if the area 

3 studied is designated under this para4 graph; and 

5 ‘‘(iii) all private property located in 

6 the area studied under this provision.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 11, 2013. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 
113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 723 

AN ACT 

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to desScenic Rivers System, and for other purposes. for potential addition to the National Wild and States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for study Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the ignate a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet,