Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation and Water Management Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-264
Sponsor: Sen. Smith, Gordon H. [R-OR]
Introduced: 2007-01-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Water Resources Development
Subjects: Animals
Construction costs
Dams
Economics and Public Finance
Energy
Federal aid to water resources development
Fishery management
Government liability
Lakes
Law
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Minorities
Native Americans
Oregon
Salmon
Water conservation
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: 
Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation and Water Management Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to provide grants to, or enter into cooperative or other agreements with, tribal, state, and local governmental entities and the Associated Ditch Companies, Incorporated (ADC) (nonprofit corporation that operates the Wallowa Lake Dam) to plan, design, and construct facilities needed to implement the Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation Program and Phase II (fish passage improvements and water conservation measures) and Phase III (implementation of water exchange infrastructure) of the Wallowa Valley Water Management Plan.
 
Directs the Secretary, as a condition of providing funds, to ensure that: (1) the Rehabilitation Program meets the standards of the dam safety program of Oregon; (2) ADC agrees to assume liability for any work performed or supervised with funds provided to it under this Act; and (3) the United States shall not be liable for damages arising out of any act relating to a facility rehabilitated or constructed under this Act.
 
Limits the federal share of the cost of activities authorized under this Act to 80%.
 
Prohibits the federal government from holding title to, or being responsible for the operation and maintenance of, any facility rehabilitated or constructed under this Act. Permits only the Nez Perce Tribe to own and operate any facility constructed using federal funds authorized by this Act located at the Dam for trapping and transportation of migratory adult salmon.

action_date: 2007-02-16
text: 
Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation and Water Management Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to provide grants to, or enter into cooperative or other agreements with, tribal, state, and local governmental entities and the Associated Ditch Companies, Incorporated (ADC) (nonprofit corporation that operates the Wallowa Lake Dam) to plan, design, and construct facilities needed to implement the Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation Program.
 
Directs the Secretary, as a condition of providing funds, to ensure that: (1) the Rehabilitation Program and any activities under this Act meet the standards of the dam safety program of Oregon; (2) ADC agrees to assume liability for any work performed or supervised with such funds; and (3) the United States shall not be liable for damages arising out of any act relating to a facility rehabilitated or constructed with such funds, regardless of whether the damages arose during or after the rehabilitation or construction.
 
Limits the federal share of the cost of activities authorized under this Act to 50%. Prohibits crediting against the federal share: (1) any expenditure by the Bonneville Power Administration in the Wallowa River watershed; or (2) expenditures made by individual agricultural producers in any federal commodity or conservation program. Requires the Secretary, in carrying out this Act, to comply with applicable Oregon state water law. Prohibits the federal government from holding title to, or being responsible for the operation and maintenance of, any facility rehabilitated or constructed under this Act. 
 
Declares that activities funded under this Act shall not be considered a supplemental or additional benefit under federal reclamation law.
 
 Authorizes appropriations. 
 
Terminates the Secretary's authority to carry out this Act 10 years after its enactment.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5530)
action_date: 2007-02-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 49.
action_date: 2007-02-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-23.
action_date: 2007-02-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-23.
action_date: 2007-01-31
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2007-01-11
text: Introduced in Senate