I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2982
To amend the Flood Control Act of 1948 with respect to the Middle Rio 
Grande Project to authorize programs for water conservation, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2003
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Flood Control Act of 1948 with respect to 
the Middle Rio Grande Project to authorize programs 
for water conservation, 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 ‘‘Middle Rio Grande 
Emergency Water Supply Stabilization Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO FLOOD CONTROL ACT OF 1948. 
The Flood Control Act of 1948 (title II of the Act 
of June 30, 1948 (chapter 771; 62 Stat. 1175 et seq.)) 
is amended—
(1) by inserting after the title heading the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Subtitle A—’’; 
(2) in section 203, under the heading ‘‘RIO 
GRANDE BASIN’’ by striking paragraph (c) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(c) The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, and in con-
junction with other interested Federal agencies and the 
State of New Mexico, is directed to make studies to deter-
mine feasible and cost-effective ways and means of reduc-
ing nonbeneficial consumption of water by phreatic vegeta-
tion in the flood plain of the Rio Grande and its principal 
tributaries above Caballo Reservoir.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle B—
‘‘SEC. 221. SHORT TITLE. 
‘‘This subtitle may be cited as the ‘Middle Rio 
Grande Emergency Water Supply Stabilization Act of 
2003’. 
‘‘SEC. 222. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this subtitle are to—
‘‘(1) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
contribute to a long-term solution for the Middle Rio 
Grande River in the State of New Mexico by pre-
venting, reducing, or eliminating wasteful depletion 
of waters; 
‘‘(2) encourage the implementation of water 
conservation measures that will improve water quan-
tity and water quality conditions needed to support 
a living river environment for the Middle Rio Grande 
River, with resultant conservation, recreation, and 
other public benefits; and 
‘‘(3) achieve quantifiable improvements in irri-
gation efficiencies of not less than 10 percent above 
the year 2002–2003 baseline conditions within three 
years of the date of enactment of this subtitle, and 
not less than 20 percent improvement in irrigation 
efficiencies within six years of the date of enactment 
of this subtitle. 
‘‘(4) confirm the original intentions of Congress 
as set forth in the Colorado River Storage Project 
Act (Act of April 11, 1956, 43 U.S.C. 620g), direct-
ing the Secretary ‘to investigate, plan, construct, op-
erate, and maintain (1) public recreational facilities 
on lands withdrawn or acquired for the development 
of said project or of said participating projects, to 
conserve the scenery, the natural, historic, and 
archeologic objects, and the wildlife on said lands, 
and to provide for public use and enjoyment of the