Snake River Water Rights Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-4981
Sponsor: Rep. Otter, C. L. (Butch) [R-ID-1]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the House
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Agriculture and Food
Animals
Community development
Compensation (Law)
Dams
Due process of law
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Federal aid to water resources development
Federal-Indian relations
Fishery management
Fishes
Fishing
Flood control
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Grazing
Habitat conservation
Housing and Community Development
Idaho
Indian claims
Indian lands
Indian water rights
Infrastructure
Irrigation
Laboratories
Lakes
Land transfers
Law
Leases
Licenses
Minorities
Native Americans
Nature conservation
Outdoor recreation
Pollution measurement
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Rent
Reservoirs
Restoration ecology
Science, Technology, Communications
Sewerage
Sports and Recreation
State government-Indian relations
Water allocation (Policy)
Water quality
Water rights
Water storage
Water supply
Water use
Watersheds
Wildlife conservation

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Snake River Water Rights Act of 2004 - Approves, ratifies, and confirms the Mediator's Term Sheet dated April 20, 2004, (the Agreement) to resolve the Snake River Basin Adjudication litigation involving the United States, the Nez Perce Tribe (the Tribe), and the State of Idaho. Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the heads of other Federal agencies to execute and perform all actions that are necessary to carry out the Agreement.
 
Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary for a one-time payment to local governments to mitigate for the change of use of water acquired by the Bureau of Reclamation.
 
Requires the Secretary to transfer land selected by the Tribe to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be held in trust for the Tribe.
 
Provides that the consumptive use and the springs or fountains water rights be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe. Requires the Tribe to enact a water code to be approved by the Secretary. 
 Establishes: (1) the Nez Perce Tribe Water and Fisheries Fund for the Tribe to acquire land and water rights, restore or improve fish habitat, or for fish production, agricultural development, cultural preservation, water resource development, or fisheries-related projects; (2) the Nez Perce Domestic Water Supply Fund to pay for the design and construction of water supply and sewer systems for tribal communities; and (3) the Salmon and Clearwater River Basins Habitat Fund to pay for habitat protection and restoration in the Salmon and Clearwater River basins. 
Sets forth waiver and release provisions.
 
Allows the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make a grant to the City of Blackfoot, Idaho to assist with natural resource restoration and conservation and water resource development associated with the Jensen Grove Lake.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-08-12
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
action_date: 2004-08-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in House