I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1535 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments 
of the Farmington River and Salmon Brook in the State of Connecticut 
as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 15, 2017 
Ms. ESTY (for herself and Mr. LARSON of Connecticut) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 
certain segments of the Farmington River and Salmon 
Brook in the State of Connecticut as components of 
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lower Farmington 
River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that— 
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(1) the Lower Farmington River and Salmon 
Brook Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2005 
(Public Law 109–370) authorized the study of the 
Farmington River downstream from the segment 
designated as a recreational river by section 
3(a)(156) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1274(a)(156)) to its confluence with the 
Connecticut River, and the segment of the Salmon 
Brook including its main stem and east and west 
branches for potential inclusion in the National Wild 
and Scenic Rivers System; 
(2) the studied segments of the Lower Farm-
ington River and Salmon Brook support natural, 
cultural, and recreational resources of exceptional 
significance to the citizens of Connecticut and the 
Nation; 
(3) concurrently with the preparation of the 
study, the Lower Farmington River and Salmon 
Brook Wild and Scenic Study Committee prepared 
the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook 
Management Plan, June 2011, that establishes ob-
jectives, standards, and action programs that will 
ensure the long-term protection of the outstanding 
values of the river segments without Federal man-
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agement of affected lands not owned by the United 
States; 
(4) the Lower Farmington River and Salmon 
Brook Wild and Scenic Study Committee has voted 
in favor of Wild and Scenic River designation for the 
river segments, and has included this recommenda-
tion as an integral part of the management plan; 
(5) there is strong local support for the protec-
tion of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon 
Brook, including votes of support for Wild and Sce-
nic designation from the governing bodies of all ten 
communities abutting the study area; 
(6) the State of Connecticut General Assembly 
has endorsed the designation of the Lower Farm-
ington River and Salmon Brook as components of 
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (Public 
Act 08–37); and 
(7) the Rainbow Dam and Reservoir are located 
entirely outside of the river segments designated by 
the amendment made in section 3, and, based on the 
findings of the study of the Lower Farmington River 
pursuant to Public Law 109–370, this hydroelectric 
project (including all aspects of its facilities, oper-
ations and transmission lines) is compatible with 
such designation. 
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SEC. 3. DESIGNATION. 
Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(213) LOWER FARMINGTON RIVER AND SALM-
ON BROOK, CONNECTICUT.—Segments of the main 
stem and its tributary, Salmon Brook, totaling ap-
proximately 62 miles, to be administered by the Sec-
retary of the Interior as follows: 
‘‘(A) The approximately 27.2-mile segment 
of the Farmington River beginning 0.2 miles 
below the tailrace of the Lower Collinsville Dam 
and extending to the site of the Spoonville Dam 
in Bloomfield and East Granby as a rec-
reational river. 
‘‘(B) The approximately 8.1-mile segment 
of the Farmington River extending from 0.5 
miles below the Rainbow Dam to the confluence 
with the Connecticut River in Windsor as a rec-
reational river. 
‘‘(C) The approximately 2.4-mile segment 
of the main stem of Salmon Brook extending 
from the confluence of the East and West 
Branches to the confluence with the Farm-
ington River as a recreational river. 
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‘‘(D) The approximately 12.6-mile segment 
of the West Branch of Salmon Brook extending 
from its headwaters in Hartland, Connecticut, 
to its confluence with the East Branch of Salm-
on Brook as a recreational river. 
‘‘(E) The approximately 11.4-mile segment 
of the East Branch of Salmon Brook extending 
from the Massachusetts-Connecticut State line 
to the confluence with the West Branch of 
Salmon Brook as a recreational river.’’. 
SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Lower Farmington River and 
Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee, in coordina-
tion with the Secretary, shall lead and coordinate imple-
mentation of the management plan for the river segments 
designated by the amendment made in section 3 in accord-
ance with such amendments to the management plan as 
the Secretary determines are consistent with this Act. The 
management plan shall be deemed to satisfy the require-
ments for a comprehensive management plan pursuant to 
section 3(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 
1274(d)). 
(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to provide for the 
long-term protection, preservation, and enhancement 
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of the river segments designated by the amendment 
made in section 3 of this Act, the Secretary is au-
thorized to enter into cooperative agreements pursu-
ant to sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) of the Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act with— 
(A) the State of Connecticut; 
(B) the towns of Avon, Bloomfield, Bur-
lington, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, 
Hartland, Simsbury, and Windsor in Con-
necticut; and 
(C) appropriate local planning and environ-
mental organizations. 
(2) CONSISTENCY.—All cooperative agreements 
provided for under this Act shall be consistent with 
the management plan and may include provisions for 
financial or other assistance from the United States. 
(c) LAND MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) ZONING ORDINANCES.—For the purposes of 
the river segments designated by the amendment 
made in section 3, the zoning ordinances adopted by 
the towns in Avon, Bloomfield, Burlington, East 
Granby, Farmington, Granby, Hartland, Simsbury, 
and Windsor in Connecticut, including provisions for 
conservation of floodplains, wetlands and water-
courses associated with the segments, shall be 
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deemed to satisfy the standards and requirements of 
section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1277(c)). 
(2) ACQUISITION OF LAND.—The provisions of 
section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 
U.S.C. 1277(c)) that prohibit Federal acquisition of 
lands by condemnation shall apply to the river seg-
ments designated by the amendment made in section 
3 of this Act. The authority of the Secretary to ac-
quire lands and permanent structures for the pur-
poses of the river segments designated by the 
amendment made in section 3 of this Act shall be 
limited to acquisition by donation or acquisition with 
the consent of the owner of the lands, and shall be 
subject to the additional criteria set forth in the 
management plan. 
(d) RAINBOW DAM.—The designation made by the 
amendment in section 3 shall not be construed to— 
(1) prohibit, pre-empt, or abridge the potential 
future licensing of the Rainbow Dam and Reservoir 
(including any and all aspects of its facilities, oper-
ations and transmission lines) by the Federal En-
ergy Regulatory Commission as a federally licensed 
hydroelectric generation project under the Federal 
Power Act; or 
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(2) affect the operation of, or impose any flow 
or release requirements on, the unlicensed hydro-
electric facility at Rainbow Dam and Reservoir. 
(e) RELATION TO NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.—Not-
withstanding section 10(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1281(c)), the Lower Farmington River 
shall not be administered as part of the National Park 
System or be subject to regulations which govern the Na-
tional Park System. 
(f) PROTECTION AFFORDED BY WILD AND SCENIC 
RIVER DESIGNATION.—The National Park Service may 
not administratively change the extent of the protection 
afforded to the river segments designated by the amend-
ment made in section 3. 
SEC. 5. FARMINGTON RIVER, CONNECTICUT, DESIGNATION 
REVISION. 
Section 3(a)(156) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended in the first sentence— 
(1) by striking ‘‘14-mile’’ and inserting ‘‘15.1- 
mile’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘to the downstream end of the 
New Hartford-Canton, Connecticut town line’’ and 
inserting ‘‘to the confluence with the Nepaug River’’. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act: 
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(1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan referred to 
in section 2(3). 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
Æ 
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