162 
(E) Increased recreation opportunities. 
(F) Reduced adverse impacts to fish and 
wildlife from water storage or diversion projects 
within watersheds associated with water storage 
projects funded under this section. 
(G) Any other purposes consistent with rec-
lamation laws or other Federal law. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this title, the 
following definitions apply: 
(1) ACCOUNT.—The term ‘‘Account’’ means the 
Reclamation Surface Water Storage Account estab-
lished under subsection (e)(2). 
(2) CONSTRUCTION.—The term ‘‘construction’’ 
means the designing, materials engineering and test-
ing, surveying, and building of surface water storage 
including additions to existing surface water storage 
and construction of new surface water storage facili-
ties, exclusive of any Federal statutory or regulatory 
obligations relating to any permit, review, approval, 
or other such requirement. 
(3) SURFACE WATER STORAGE.—The term ‘‘sur-
face water storage’’ means any federally owned facil-
ity under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclama-
tion or any non-Federal facility used for the surface 
storage and supply of water resources. 
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163 
(4) TREASURY RATE.—The term ‘‘Treasury rate’’ 
means the 20-year Constant Maturity Treasury 
(CMT) rate published by the United States Depart-
ment of the Treasury existing on the effective date of 
the contract. 
(5) WATER
USERS’ ASSOCIATION.—The term 
‘‘water users’ association’’ means— 
(A) an entity organized and recognized 
under State laws that is eligible to enter into 
contracts with reclamation to receive contract 
water for delivery to and users of the water and 
to pay applicable charges; and 
(B) includes a variety of entities with dif-
ferent names and differing functions, such as as-
sociations, conservatory district, irrigation dis-
trict, municipality, and water project contract 
unit. 
TITLE X—SAFETY OF DAMS 
SEC. 1001. AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL PROJECT BEN-
EFITS. 
The Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 is 
amended— 
(1) in section 3, by striking ‘‘Construction’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Except as provided in section 5B, con-
struction’’; and 
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(2) by inserting after section 5A (43 U.S.C. 509) 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 5B. AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL PROJECT BENE-
FITS. 
‘‘Notwithstanding section 3, if the Secretary deter-
mines that additional project benefits, including but not 
limited to additional conservation storage capacity, are fea-
sible and not inconsistent with the purposes of this Act, the 
Secretary is authorized to develop additional project bene-
fits through the construction of new or supplementary works 
on a project in conjunction with the Secretary’s activities 
under section 2 of this Act and subject to the conditions 
described in the feasibility study, provided— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary determines that developing 
additional project benefits through the construction of 
new or supplementary works on a project will pro-
mote more efficient management of water and water- 
related facilities; 
‘‘(2) the feasibility study pertaining to addi-
tional project benefits has been authorized pursuant to 
section 8 of the Federal Water Project Recreation Act 
of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 4601–18); and 
‘‘(3) the costs associated with developing the ad-
ditional project benefits are agreed to in writing be-
tween the Secretary and project proponents and shall 
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be allocated to the authorized purposes of the structure 
and repaid consistent with all provisions of Federal 
Reclamation law (the Act of June 17, 1902, 43 U.S.C. 
371 et seq.) and Acts supplemental to and amend-
atory of that Act.’’. 
TITLE XI—WATER RIGHTS 
PROTECTION 
SEC. 1101. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Water Rights Protection 
Act’’. 
SEC. 1102. DEFINITION OF WATER RIGHT. 
In this title, the term ‘‘water right’’ means any surface 
or groundwater right filed, permitted, certified, confirmed, 
decreed, adjudicated, or otherwise recognized by a judicial 
proceeding or by the State in which the user acquires posses-
sion of the water or puts the water to beneficial use, includ-
ing water rights for federally recognized Indian tribes. 
SEC. 1103. TREATMENT OF WATER RIGHTS. 
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall not— 
(1) condition or withhold, in whole or in part, 
the issuance, renewal, amendment, or extension of 
any permit, approval, license, lease, allotment, ease-
ment, right-of-way, or other land use or occupancy 
agreement on— 
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166 
(A) limitation or encumbrance of any water 
right, or the transfer of any water right (includ-
ing joint and sole ownership), directly or indi-
rectly to the United States or any other designee; 
or 
(B) any other impairment of any water 
right, in whole or in part, granted or otherwise 
recognized under State law, by Federal or State 
adjudication, decree, or other judgment, or pur-
suant to any interstate water compact; 
(2) require any water user (including any feder-
ally recognized Indian tribe) to apply for or acquire 
a water right in the name of the United States under 
State law as a condition of the issuance, renewal, 
amendment, or extension of any permit, approval, li-
cense, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or 
other land use or occupancy agreement; 
(3) assert jurisdiction over groundwater with-
drawals or impacts on groundwater resources, unless 
jurisdiction is asserted, and any regulatory or policy 
actions taken pursuant to such assertion are, con-
sistent with, and impose no greater restrictions or 
regulatory requirements than, applicable State laws 
(including regulations) and policies governing the 
protection and use of groundwater resources; or 
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167 
(4) infringe on the rights and obligations of a 
State in evaluating, allocating, and adjudicating the 
waters of the State originating on or under, or flow-
ing from, land owned or managed by the Federal 
Government. 
SEC. 1104. RECOGNITION OF STATE AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out section 1103, the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall— 
(1) recognize the longstanding authority of the 
States relating to evaluating, protecting, allocating, 
regulating, and adjudicating groundwater by any 
means, including a rulemaking, permitting, directive, 
water court adjudication, resource management plan-
ning, regional authority, or other policy; and 
(2) coordinate with the States in the adoption 
and implementation by the Secretary of the Interior 
or the Secretary of Agriculture of any rulemaking, 
policy, directive, management plan, or other similar 
Federal action so as to ensure that such actions are 
consistent with, and impose no greater restrictions or 
regulatory requirements than, State groundwater laws 
and programs. 
(b) EFFECT ON STATE WATER RIGHTS.—In carrying 
out this title, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
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168 
of Agriculture shall not take any action that adversely af-
fects— 
(1) any water rights granted by a State; 
(2) the authority of a State in adjudicating 
water rights; 
(3) definitions established by a State with re-
spect to the term ‘‘beneficial use’’, ‘‘priority of water 
rights’’, or ‘‘terms of use’’; 
(4) terms and conditions of groundwater with-
drawal, guidance and reporting procedures, and con-
servation and source protection measures established 
by a State; 
(5) the use of groundwater in accordance with 
State law; or 
(6) any other rights and obligations of a State 
established under State law. 
SEC. 1105. EFFECT OF TITLE. 
(a) EFFECT ON EXISTING AUTHORITY.—Nothing in 
this title limits or expands any existing legally recognized 
authority of the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary 
of Agriculture to issue, grant, or condition any permit, ap-
proval, license, lease, allotment, easement, right-of-way, or 
other land use or occupancy agreement on Federal land sub-
ject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or 
the Secretary of Agriculture, respectively. 
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169 
(b) EFFECT ON RECLAMATION CONTRACTS.—Nothing 
in this title interferes with Bureau of Reclamation contracts 
entered into pursuant to the reclamation laws. 
(c) EFFECT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.—Nothing 
in this title affects the implementation of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
(d) 
EFFECT
ON
FEDERAL
RESERVED
WATER 
RIGHTS.—Nothing in this title limits or expands any exist-
ing or claimed reserved water rights of the Federal Govern-
ment on land administered by the Secretary of the Interior 
or the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(e) EFFECT ON FEDERAL POWER ACT.—Nothing in 
this title limits or expands authorities under sections 4(e), 
10(j), or 18 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 797(e), 
803(j), 811). 
(f) EFFECT ON INDIAN WATER RIGHTS.—Nothing in 
this title limits or expands any water right or treaty right 
of any federally recognized Indian tribe. 
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Union Calendar No. 146 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2898 
[Report No. 114–197, Part I] 
A BILL 
To provide drought relief in the State of California, 
and for other purposes. 
JULY 13, 2015 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
an amendment 
JULY 13, 2015 
The Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to 
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
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