Proposed Water Infrastructure Legislation
KWUA is monitoring a group of recently-introduced bills that pertain to existing and new infrastructure. Two bills with bi-partisan sponsorship, the proposed Water Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Utilization Act, and the proposed Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act, are of particular interest. The first of these would modify procedures for financing and repayment by water users for extraordinary operation and maintenance projects on transferred works (facilities owned by the United States but operated by districts). KWUA member Klamath Irrigation District has recent experience with the existing process, and it and others anticipate significant work on “aging infrastructure” in the future.
The Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Infrastructure Act would authorize federal financing, including loans and cost-share grants, for various infrastructure-related projects, including surface and groundwater storage and other actions. Although the new statutory authorities would be generic and apply across the 17 Reclamation states, clearly some of the provisions are drafted with known activities or proposals in mind.
KWUA supports both of these measures in concept and, working with our Congressional delegation and Washington, D.C. representatives, will work to ensure that Klamath Project needs are considered.
A Public Meeting on Irrigation Power Cost Reduction will be held on September 10 at 9 a.m. at Klamath Community College.
More information on page 4 and in our September newsletter.
