I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2492 

To direct the Secretary of the Army to provide for modification of certain 

Federal water resources development projects on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 21, 2015 

Ms. GRAHAM (for herself, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. MURPHY of 

Florida, Mr. JOLLY, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 

Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. ROONEY of Florida, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. 

HASTINGS, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CURBELO

of Florida, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. GRAYSON, Ms. BROWN of 

Florida, Mr. YOHO, Mr. ROSS, and Mr. NUGENT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Army to provide for modification of certain Federal water resources development 

projects on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint 

Rivers, 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. APALACHICOLA, CHATTAHOOCHEE, AND FLINT 

4 RIVER PROJECTS. 

5 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) APALACHICOLA-CHATTAHOOCHEE-FLINT

2 PROJECTS.—The term ‘‘Apalachicola-Chattahoochee3 Flint projects’’ means the Federal water resources 

4 projects on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and 

5 Flint Rivers in the States of Alabama, Florida, and 

6 Georgia authorized by section 2 of the Act of March 

7 2, 1945 (59 Stat. 17, chapter 19; 60 Stat. 635, 

8 chapter 595) and section 203 of the Flood Control 

9 Act of 1962 (76 Stat. 1182), including— 

10 (A) Buford Dam and Reservoir; 

11 (B) West Point Dam and Reservoir; 

12 (C) George W. Andrews Dam and Res13 ervoir; 

14 (D) Walter F. George Dam and Reservoir; 

15 and 

16 (E) Jim Woodruff Dam and Reservoir. 

17 (2) FRESHWATER FLOWS.—The term ‘‘fresh18 water flows’’ means the quality, quantity, timing, 

19 and variability of freshwater flows required— 

20 (A) to support and reestablish— 

21 (i) the physical, chemical, biological, 

22 and overall ecological integrity of the com23 ponents, functions, and natural processes 

24 required for a thriving and resilient Chat25 tahoochee River, Apalachicola River, ApaVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:25 May 28, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2492.IH H2492

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1 lachicola River floodplain, and Apalachicola 

2 Bay; 

3 (ii) commercial and recreational fish4 eries dependent on freshwater flows into 

5 Apalachicola Bay and adjacent waters, in6 cluding the Gulf of Mexico; and 

7 (iii) thriving and diverse fish, wildlife, 

8 and plant populations having species com9 position, diversity, adaptability, and func10 tional organization similar to those found 

11 in the Chattahoochee River and Apalachi12 cola River ecosystems prior to construction 

13 of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint 

14 projects; 

15 (B) to restore and recover species that are 

16 endangered, threatened, or at risk; and 

17 (C) to prevent significantly harmful ad18 verse impacts to the Chattahoochee River and 

19 Apalachicola River ecosystems. 

20 (b) PROJECT MODIFICATION.—Notwithstanding any 

21 authorized purpose of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee22 Flint projects, the Secretary shall operate the Apalachi23 cola-Chattahoochee-Flint projects in a manner that en24 sures the maintenance of freshwater flows. 

25 (c) REVISION OF WATER CONTROL MANUALS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

2 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec3 retary shall complete the ongoing revision of the 

4 water control manuals for the Apalachicola-Chat5 tahoochee-Flint projects and issue revised water con6 trol manuals for those projects that ensure the 

7 maintenance of freshwater flows. 

8 (2) OPERATIONAL MODIFICATIONS.—In car9 rying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure 

10 that operational modifications needed to maintain 

11 freshwater flows are achieved, to the maximum ex12 tent practicable, while providing system-wide balance 

13 in conservation storage through the maintenance of 

14 water levels within the same action zone for each of 

15 the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint project res16 ervoirs. 

17 (3) INDEPENDENT PEER REVIEW OF WATER

18 CONTROL MANUALS.— 

19 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

20 enter into an arrangement with the National 

21 Academy of Sciences under which the National 

22 Academy of Sciences shall carry out an inde23 pendent peer review of each revised water con24 trol manual, as required under section 2034 of 


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1 the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 

2 (33 U.S.C. 2343). 

3 (B) COMPLIANCE.—Each independent peer 

4 review under this paragraph shall comply with 

5 section 2034 of the Water Resources Develop6 ment Act of 2007 (33 U.S.C. 2343). 

7 (4) FINAL APPROVAL.—Before a final water 

8 control manual may be issued, the Secretary shall 

9 obtain written approval of each water control man10 ual developed under this subsection from— 

11 (A) the Administrator of the Environ12 mental Protection Agency; 

13 (B) the Director of the United States Fish 

14 and Wildlife Service; 

15 (C) the Director of the National Oceanic 

16 and Atmospheric Administration; and 

17 (D) the Director of the United States Geo18 logical Survey. 

19 (d) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER FEDERAL AND STATE

20 LAWS.—Except as provided in subsection (b), nothing in 

21 this section waives, limits, or otherwise affects the applica22 bility of any provision of Federal or State law that would 

23 otherwise apply to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint 

24 projects. 

Æ 


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