Sec. 6. National Academy of Sciences study
546 words·~2 min read·
/bill/115/s/1012/is/section-6A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
In this section, the term basin means the Rio Grande and the tributaries of the Rio Grande between— the headwaters of the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama in the State of Colorado; and Elephant Butte Reservoir in the State. In this section, the term basin does not include Elephant Butte Reservoir, Caballo Dam, or any portion of the Rio Grande or the tributaries of the Rio Grande downstream of Elephant Butte Reservoir. Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to carry out a study on water and reservoir management and operation issues in the basin (including the Heron, El Vado, Abiquiu, Cochiti, and Jemez Canyon Dams and Reservoirs), which shall include— an evaluation of existing basin reservoir authorizations and legal requirements; a summary of— the physical-hydrologic understanding of existing basin reservoir operations; and any potential constraints on basin reservoirs in light of climate change projections; an identification of opportunities to optimize water storage and management to benefit the basin ecosystem, irrigators and municipal users, and to promote water conservation through reauthorization of, reoperation of, regulation of, or physical improvements to the reservoirs; an evaluation of the physical-hydrologic feasibility of the identified future basin reservoir management scenarios; an identification of water use, supply, and accounting impacts to other stakeholders in the State; consideration of operations such as— the storage of supplemental water acquired by and under the control of the Bureau of Reclamation; the carryover storage of San Juan-Chama Project contract water; the Pueblo Prior and Paramount operation water; changes in timing of water released to offset municipal pumping; changes in the timing of storage and release of floodwaters; the reduction of evaporative losses from basin reservoirs; conservation of water resulting from irrigation operation changes by non-Indian and Pueblo irrigators; the impacts of management and operations on recreation and hydropower; the impacts of management and operations on the basin ecosystem and the habitats that support species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and any other factors the Academy determines to be necessary for purposes of fully evaluating opportunities to achieve greater water conservation, drought resiliency, and ecological health in the basin; and recommendations for future management scenarios and measures that Congress could take with respect to the basin, consistent with all applicable law, including the Act of June 17, 1902 ( 43 U.S.C. 383 ), and the Rio Grande Compact to assist the agencies in establishing more flexible operating procedures to improve the performance of basin reservoir operations in accommodating multiple purposes.
The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary may solicit cosponsors for the study under subsection (b), as appropriate, including State or private organizations. On the date on which the National Academy of Sciences completes the study under this section, the National Academy of Sciences shall make available to the public the results of the study. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary a report that contains a summary of the results of the study conducted under this section.
Connectionstraces to 2
Traces to 2 documents
Citation graph
cites case law
Cites 2Cited by 0 across 0 sources