The Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act () is a land-use and water bill related to the Crooked River in Oregon and the Bowman Dam. H.R. 2640 would modify features of the Crooked River Project located in central Oregon, north of the city of Prineville, and prioritize how water from the project would be allocated for different uses. It was introduced into the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress.
Background
Identical legislation () passed the House during the 112th United States Congress, but died in the Senate.
Provisions of the bill
This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.
The Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act would amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to modify the boundary of the Crooked River, Oregon. It would require the developer for any hydropower development at Bowman Dam to analyze any impacts to the Outstanding Remarkable Values of the Wild and Scenic River that may be caused by such development and propose mitigation for such impacts as part of any license application submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
The bill would increase (from 10 to 17 cubic feet per second) the minimum release that shall be maintained from the Prineville Reservoir for the benefit of downstream fish life. It would also require 7 of the 17 cubic feet per second release to serve as mitigation for the city of Prineville groundwater pumping, as determined necessary for any given year by the city, including any shaping of the release of the up to 7 cubic feet per second to coincide with the city's groundwater pumping as may be required by the state of Oregon. The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Army to make applications to that state in conjunction with that city to protect these supplies instream. The bill would direct the city to make payment to the Secretary for that portion of the minimum release that actually serves as mitigation under Oregon law. The bill would authorize the Secretary to contract exclusively with the city for additional amounts in the future at the city's request.
The Central Oregon Jobs and Water Security Act would direct the Secretary, on a "first fill" priority basis, to store in and release from the Reservoir: (1) 68,273 acre feet of water annually to fulfill all 16 Bureau of Reclamation contracts existing as of January 1, 2011; (2) up to 2,740 acre feet of water annually to supply the McKay Creek lands; and (3) up to 10,000 acre feet of water annually to the North Unit Irrigation District, upon request, pursuant to a Temporary Water Service Contract.
The bill would authorize any landowner within Ochoco Irrigation District, Oregon, to repay construction costs of project facilities allocated to that landowner's lands within that District. It would require the United States Secretary of the Interior, upon the request of a landowner who has repaid project construction costs, to provide certification of freedom from ownership and pricing limitations.
The bill would modify the District's reclamation contracts, on approval of the District directors, to: (1) authorize the use of water for instream purposes in order for the District to engage in, or take advantage of, conserved water projects and temporary instream leasing as authorized by Oregon law; (2) include within the district boundary approximately 2,742 acres in the vicinity of McKay Creek; (3) classify approximately 685 of such acres as irrigable; and (4) provide the District with stored water from Prineville Reservoir for supplying such 685 acres, contingent on the transfer of existing appurtenant McKay Creek water rights to instream use and the state's issuance of water rights for the use of stored water.
Congressional Budget Office report
This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Budget Office, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on July 24, 2013. This is a public domain source.
H.R. 2640 would modify features of the Crooked River Project located in central Oregon, north of the city of Prineville, and prioritize how water from the project would be allocated for different uses. Based on information from the Bureau of Reclamation, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that enacting H.R. 2640 would have an insignificant impact on direct spending; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. The legislation would not affect revenues or spending that is subject to appropriation.