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[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2594 Referred in House (RFH)]

  2d Session
                                S. 2594

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2000

                 Referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to contract with the Mancos 
  Water Conservancy District to use the Mancos Project facilities for 
 impounding, storage, diverting, and carriage of nonproject water for 
  the purpose of irrigation, domestic, municipal, industrial, and any 
                       other beneficial purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CARRIAGE OF NONPROJECT WATER BY THE MANCOS PROJECT, 
              COLORADO.

    (a) Sale of Excess Water.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the Act of August 11, 1939 
        (commonly known as the ``Water Conservation and Utilization 
        Act'') (16 U.S.C. 590y et seq.), if storage or carrying 
        capacity has been or may be provided in excess of the 
        requirements of the land to be irrigated under the Mancos 
        Project, Colorado (referred to in this Act as the ``project''), 
        the Secretary of the Interior may, on such terms as the 
        Secretary determines to be just and equitable, contract with 
        the Mancos Water Conservancy District and any of its member 
        unit contractors for impounding, storage, diverting, or 
        carriage of nonproject water for irrigation, domestic, 
        municipal, industrial, and any other beneficial purposes, to an 
        extent not exceeding the excess capacity.
            (2) Interference.--A contract under paragraph (1) shall not 
        impair or otherwise interfere with any authorized purpose of 
        the project.
            (3) Cost considerations.--In fixing the charges under a 
        contract under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into 
        consideration--
                    (A) the cost of construction and maintenance of the 
                project, by which the nonproject water is to be 
                diverted, impounded, stored, or carried; and
                    (B) the canal by which the water is to be carried.
            (4) No additional charges.--The Mancos Water Conservancy 
        District shall not impose a charge for the storage, carriage, 
        or delivery of the nonproject water in excess of the charge 
        paid to the United States, except to such extent as may be 
        reasonably necessary to cover--
                    (A) a proportionate share of the project cost; and
                    (B) the cost of carriage and delivery of the 
                nonproject water through the facilities of the Mancos 
                Water Conservancy District.
    (b) Water Rights of United States Not Enlarged.--Nothing in this 
Act enlarges or attempts to enlarge the right of the United States, 
under existing law, to control any water in any State.

            Passed the Senate October 13 (legislative day, September 
      22), 2000.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.
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