Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

Bill: 118-s-2042
Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2023-06-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Geography and mapping
Land use and conservation
Nevada
Pipelines
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2024-12-18
text: 

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

This bill expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities. 

Specifically, the bill requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which administers the conservation area, to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities. 

Rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources. 
 
In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials. 

The bill also adds approximately 9,000 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2024-12-19
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2024-12-19
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2024-12-19
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2024-12-18
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7166; text: CR S7166)
action_date: 2024-12-18
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2023-12-20
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 299.
action_date: 2023-12-20
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 118-147.
action_date: 2023-12-20
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Manchin with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 118-147.
action_date: 2023-09-21
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2023-07-12
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 118-285.
action_date: 2023-06-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2023-06-15
text: Introduced in Senate