I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3971
To assist in the conservation and stabilization of water quantity and quality
for fish habitat and recreation in the Walker River Basin consistent
with Decree C–125, issued by the United States District Court for
the District of Nevada.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 2, 1996
Mrs. VUCANOVICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To assist in the conservation and stabilization of water quan-
tity and quality for fish habitat and recreation in the
Walker River Basin consistent with Decree C–125, issued
by the United States District Court for the District
of Nevada.
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 ‘‘Walker River Basin
Conservation and Stabilization Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION IN WATER BANKING AND LAKE
PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT.
(a) PURPOSE.—The Secretary of the Interior (in this
Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall participate in ef-
forts by the Walker River Basin Water Users Association,
the Walker River Irrigation District, and the Walker River
Paiute Tribe (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘locally af-
fected interests’’) to conduct studies relating to, and to
implement, the projects described in subsection (e), to as-
sist in the stabilization of water quantity and quality at
Walker Lake for the purposes of conserving fish habitat
and recreation in the Walker River Basin.
(b) PARTICIPATION.—The Secretary, subject to the
availability of appropriations, shall provide funds and
technical assistance to the locally affected interests
through grants or cooperative agreements pursuant to
memoranda of understanding under subsection (d).
(c) COST SHARING.—The Secretary’s share of costs
associated with the projects described in subsection (e)
shall not exceed 75 percent of the total thereof. The non-
Federal share of the costs of operation and maintenance
of the projects shall be 100 percent.
(d) MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Sec-
retary may enter into one or more memoranda of under-
standing with the locally affected interests to facilitate the
disposition of funds authorized by this Act.
(e) PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS.—The projects referred
to in subsection (a) are the following:
(1) WALKER
RIVER
WATER
BANKING
DEM-
ONSTRATION PROJECT.—A project to establish, in
accordance with Nevada State law and other appli-
cable law, a locally managed Walker River Water
Bank to facilitate voluntary water transfers, includ-
ing any water conserved under the project described
in paragraph (2), within the Walker River Basin in
Nevada and California.
(2) 
WATER
CONSERVATION
PROJECT.—A
project designed to encourage the locally affected in-
terests to voluntarily conserve water in the Walker
River Basin, in addition to voluntary water transfers
for banking described in paragraph (1).
(3) IN GENERAL.—Such other water manage-
ment projects the Secretary considers appropriate,
including projects such as stream protection,
phreatophyte control, debris control and removal in
Walker Lake and its tributaries, other small flood
control projects, water quality analysis, fish biology
analysis, salt management, cloud seeding, and
ground water modeling and management.
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out this section $7,500,000. Funds appropriated under
this section shall be made available to the locally affected
interests to carry out the projects specified in subsection
(e), in accordance with memoranda of understanding en-
tered into under subsection (d). Of the amount authorized
by this Act to be appropriated, $5,000,000 is authorized
to be made available for the project described in subsection
(e)(1), and the remainder is authorized to be made avail-
able for the projects described in paragraphs (2) and (3)
of subsection (e). Funds appropriated under this Act shall
remain available until expended.
SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH STATE WATER LAWS.
The Secretary shall not take any action that would
undermine, contradict, or diminish the water rights con-
firmed in Decree C–125, United States of America, et al.
v. Walker River Irrigation District, et al., United States
District Court for the District of Nevada, in Equity, No.
C–125, April 14, 1936, as amended on April 24, 1940,
other than action which the Secretary determines is nec-
essary and within the Secretary’s authority as trustee for
the Walker River Paiute Tribe.
SEC. 4. EXISTING AUTHORITY UNCHANGED.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting
the existing authority of the Secretary, the State of Ne-
vada, or the State of California.
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