An Act to provide for the development of the Priest Rapids site on the Columbia River, Wash., under a license issued pursuant to the Federal Power Act
PL 83-544 (H.R.7664), enacted 07/27/1954

68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 544-JULY 27, 1954 
573 
"ARTICLE VIII. 
"This compact may be amended from time to time by the concurrent 
action of the two Commonwealths parties hereto." 
SEC. 2. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
reserved. 
Approved July 27, 1954. 
Public Law 544 
CHAPTER 589 
AN ACT 
July 27, 1954 
To provide for the development of the Priest Rapids site on the Columbia River, 
[H. R. 7664] 
Washington, under a license issued pursuant to the Federal Power Act. 
P r i e s t 
Rapids 
Dam, Wash. 
4 1 Stat. 10 6 3 ; 
49 Stat. 863. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Flood Con-
trol Act of 1950 (64 Stat. 170, 179), insofar as it adopted and author-
ized to be prosecuted the Priest Rapids Dam on the Columbia River, 
Washington, substantially in accordance with the plans recommended 
in the report of the Chief of Engineers dated June 28, 1949, contained 
in House Document Numbered 531, Eighty-first Congress, second 
session, is hereby modified to permit the development of the Priest 
Rapids site by Public Utility District Number 2, of Grant County, 
Washington, or such district or its successor in combination with such 
other utilities as it may legally affiliate with or by any division, sub-
division, agency, or commission of the State of Washington under 
and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a license duly 
issued pursuant to the Federal Power Act and in accordance with this 
A c t . 
"l6'usc"79'la 
SEC. 2, The Priest Rapids Reservoir site shall be developed to utilize 
appUcation!^ * "^ * 
the optimum capabilities of the site as a part of the comprehensive 
plan for economically feasible control and utilization of the water 
resources for flood control, navigation, power, and other beneficial pur-
poses. Before a license is issued, an applicant for a license shall sub-
mit a report on the details of its plans for development to the Federal 
Power Commission with particular reference to the integration of the 
proposed Priest Rapids development as a part of the comprehensive 
plan. 
SEC. 3. The Department of the Army shall review any plans sub- 
Review o
f plans, 
mitted to the Federal Power Commission for the purpose of acquiring 
a license to develop the Priest Rapids site or any other site in connec-
tion therewith and shall make recommendations Avith respect to such 
plans to the Commission with particular regard to flood control and 
navigation. 
SEC. 4. The license may provide for the addition of navigation locks 
fi,^Tc^on°?orf^ 
and flood-control features by the Department of the Army at Federal 
ciuties. 
expense, either as a part of the initial construction or at a later date. 
In the event that nonpower features are to be provided as part of the 
initial construction, an allocation of costs to such features shall be 
approved by the Federal Power Commission taking into consideration 
recommendations by the Department of the Army and licensee, and 
funds to cover such costs may be appropriated and may be transferred 
by the Chief of Engineers to the licensee. If such navigation and 
flood-control 
facilities are not provided initially the licensee shall 
provide at its own expense the basic features for future installation 
of navigation and flood-control facilities. 
SEC. 5. Upon request by the licensee the Corps of Engineers under 
agenc'^,^ Lt ".''*'"*^ 
direction of the Secretary of the Army shall be authorized to receive 
contributed funds and act as constructing agency for part or all of the 
574 
PUBLIC LAW 545-JULY 28, 1954 
[68 ST A T . 
Rules and regu-
lations. 
P o w e r market-
ing a g e n c y dis-
agreement. 
FPC 
determina-
tion. 
P o w e r surplus. 
Bonneville P r o j -
ect. 
SO Stat. 731. 
16 u s e 832-832/. 
Effectivity. 
16 u s e 791a. 
64 Stat. 179. 
project, including acquisition of lands, easements, rights-of-way, or 
other interest in land in accordance with Federal laws and procedures 
governing flood-control projects and subsequent conveyance thereof 
to the licensee. 
SEC. 6. The operation and maintenance of a project under license 
pursuant to this Act shall be subject to reasonable rules and regula-
tions by the Secretary of the Army in the interest of flood control and 
navigation. 
To assure that there shall be no discrimination between 
States in the area served by the project, such license shall provide that 
the licensee shall offer a reasonable portion of the power capacity and 
a reasonable portion of the power output of the project for sale within 
the economic market area in neighboring States and shall cooperate 
wdth agencies in such States to insure compliance with this require-
ment : Provided^ That in the event of disagreement between the licensee 
and the power marketing agencies (public or private) in any of the 
other States within the economic market area, the Federal Power 
Commission may determine and fix the applicable portion of power 
capacity and power output to be made available hereunder and the 
terms applicable thereto. 
Power surplus to the requirements of the 
licensee and other non-Federal marketing agencies (public or private) 
within the economic marketing area, as may be economically usable 
to the Federal system, may be made available to and may be purchased 
by the Bonneville Power Administrator at rates not higher than the 
rates charged such non-Federal marketing agencies, and under such 
terms and conditions as shall be mutually agreeable to the licensee and 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
Such power may be co-mingled with 
power from Federal dams in the Columbia River system lor which 
the Bonneville Power Administrator has been designated marketing 
agent and shall be sold by the Administrator in accordance with the 
provisions of the Bonneville Project Act at established rate schedules. 
SEC. 7. If an application for a preliminary permit for a license 
under the Federal Power Act to authorize the development of the 
Priest Rapids site is not prosecuted with reasonable diligence before 
the Federal Power Commission and in any event if the license applica-
tion is not filed with the Federal Power Commission prior to the date 
which is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the pro-
visions of this Act shall not be effective after such date and the authori-
zation for the development of the Priest Rapids site contained in the 
Flood Control Act of 1950 shall have the same status it would have 
had if this Act had not been enacted. In the event an application for 
a license is made and denied by the Federal Powder Commission, or if 
construction under a license is not carried out in a reasonable period 
of time as determined by the Federal Power Commission, the authori-
zation in the Flood Control Act of 1950 will have the same status it 
would have had if this Act had not been enacted. 
Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Federal Power Commission shall act, 
on any such application filed with it prior to such date, within one year 
after the date on which such application is filed. 
Approved July 27, 1954. 
July 28, 1954 
[S. 2367] 
Public Law 545 
CHAPTER 591 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act of June 29, 1935 (the Bankhead-Jones Act), as amended, to 
strengthen the conduct of research of the Department of Agriculture. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Act of June