Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on four bills to streamline water and hydropower infrastructure. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response:

"The four bills considered by the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries today are an important part of our commitment to improve water infrastructure and to enhance access to water resources across the 17 Reclamation states. These four bills will modify cost shares and clarify the authority and obligations of Interior and Reclamation for critical water projects in the West. I extend my appreciation to my colleagues on the Subcommittee for their efforts, and I look forward to these bills being brought before the full House for a vote."

Background

H.R. 7872, the Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), will address a longstanding imbalance in the Lower Basin Fund which funds salinity control projects. The legislation incorporates work from the seven Colorado River Basin states, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

H.R. 7938, the Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.), will shield farmers from the adverse effects of removing the four PacifiCorp dams. 

H.R. 8263, the Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), clarifies the Bureau of Reclamation is the sole authority for developing new hydropower projects within Reclamation projects, eliminating a duplicative permitting process. 

H.R. 7776, the Help Hoover Dam Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), will authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to access $45 million of ratepayer funding for the operation, maintenance and improvement of the Hoover Dam.