Klamath River Basin Restoration and Emergency Assistance Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-1760
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-1]
Introduced: 2003-04-10 in the House
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Agriculture and Food
Anadromous fishes
Animals
California
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Conservation easements
Disaster relief
Dry farming
Economics and Public Finance
Ecosystem management
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to water resources development
Federal-state relations
Fish kills
Fishery management
Fishing
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Groundwater
Habitat conservation
Hunting
Indian water rights
Irrigation
Irrigation districts
Landowners
Leases
Migratory bird conservation
Minorities
Native Americans
Nonprofit organizations
Oregon
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Restoration ecology
Riparian ecology
Rivers
Salmon
Social Welfare
Sports and Recreation
Stream conservation
Water conservation
Water pollution control
Water quality
Water rights
Water storage
Watersheds
Wetlands
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife refuges

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Klamath River Basin Restoration and Emergency Assistance Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Klamath River Basin Conservation Area Restoration Program.
Requires such program to provide loans, grants, and technical assistance for short- and long-term water conservation projects in the Klamath Basin.
Covers projects which: (1) provide incentives for growing crops requiring less water; (2) acquire property interests; (3) restore habitat; and (4) feature tail-water recovery programs, lining of earthen irrigation channels and groundwater recharge and management systems.
Prohibits the use of funds to bring newly irrigated lands into agricultural production.
Limits the Federal share to 75 percent of costs, permitting in-kind contributions for the non-Federal share.
Requires the Secretary to provide emergency financial assistance to persons in northern California and Oregon coastal communities adversely affected by the Klamath Basin salmon kill disaster of 2002.
Directs the Secretary to modify the operation of the Klamath Project so that Klamath River flows meet a specified standard.
Establishes the Klamath Basin Restoration Task Force.
Requires the Secretary to implement the low release requirements for the Trinity River, permitting modifications as specified.
Directs the Secretary to study the water supply needs of the wetland habitats within the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges to meet fish and wildlife conservation purposes.
Permits the Secretary to store water on the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges if their habitats are not compromised.
Maintains existing tribal fishery, water, and other rights.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-21
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
action_date: 2003-04-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
action_date: 2003-04-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-04-10
text: Introduced in House