Direct the Administrator and the Secretaries of the Army and the Interior to provide research, technical assistance, interagency coordination, and funding for: (1) the collection and modeling of scientific and hydrologic data; and (2) the design and construction of erosion control facilities, wetland restoration features, ground water interdiction facilities, treated effluent transport diffusion and reuse features, water quality improvement facilities, and other project features developed under the Las Vegas Wash Comprehensive Adaptive Management Plan.
Authorizes appropriations.
[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2750 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2750
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary
of the Interior to participate constructively in the implementation of
the Las Vegas Wash Wetland Restoration and Lake Mead Water Quality
Improvement Project, Nevada.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 19, 2000
Mr. Reid introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary
of the Interior to participate constructively in the implementation of
the Las Vegas Wash Wetland Restoration and Lake Mead Water Quality
Improvement Project, Nevada.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Las Vegas Wash Wetland Restoration
and Lake Mead Water Quality Improvement Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the Las Vegas Wash is a significant ecosystem of desert
wetland created by treated effluent return flows, urban runoff,
and flood events from the Las Vegas Valley;
(2) a healthy wetland ecosystem in the Las Vegas Wash would
improve water quality in the Las Vegas Bay, the Lake Mead
National Recreation Area, and the lower Colorado River, which
is critical habitat for endangered and threatened fish and
wildlife populations;
(3) the Secretary of the Interior delivers municipal,
industrial, and agricultural water from the Colorado River to
millions of people in Nevada, Arizona, and California;
(4) a significant concern relating to water quality in Lake
Mead is the transmission of contaminants to the Colorado River
through the Las Vegas Wash from shallow ground water seepage
originating at an industrial complex located in the southeast
part of the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada;
(5) the industrial complex was constructed by the Federal
Government during World War II to manufacture products required
by the Department of Defense, including perchlorate, which is
an essential component of rocket fuel used exclusively by the
Federal Government;
(6) over the past 20 years the Las Vegas Wash wetland has
been significantly eroded and deteriorated by flash floods,
increasing treated effluent flows, urban runoff, and polluted
shallow ground water seepage;
(7) the loss of the Las Vegas Wash wetland is having an
adverse impact on wildlife habitat;
(8) the Las Vegas Wash wetland offers a unique opportunity
to experience a wetland environment providing educational,
cultural, environmental, and recreation benefits to the
community of southern Nevada;
(9) as recommended by a citizens' water quality advisory
committee in 1998, the Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee,
including Federal, State, and local agencies, was formed to
establish a comprehensive adaptive management plan for the Las
Vegas Wash wetland;
(10) from 1998 to 1999, the Committee engaged in an
extensive public process to evaluate the multifaceted
challenges associated with the restoration of the Las Vegas
Wash wetland;
(11) in October 1999, the Committee completed and initiated
public comment on a comprehensive adaptive management plan;
(12) in January 2000, the adaptive management plan was
approved by the Board of the Southern Nevada Water Authority,
which is the coordinating agency for the Committee; and
(13) the adaptive management plan calls for a partnership
among Federal, State, and local agencies with an interest in
the Las Vegas Wash wetland.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to recognize the importance of the restoration of the
Las Vegas Wash wetland to water quality in the Colorado River
and a desert wetland ecosystem;
(2) to direct the affected Federal agencies to participate
constructively in the implementation of the Las Vegas Wash
Wetland Restoration and Lake Mead Water Quality Improvement
Project under the comprehensive adaptive management plan; and
(3) to authorize such sums as are necessary for the
affected Federal agencies to carry out specific tasks required
by the Project in partnership with the authority and other
State and local agencies involved in the Committee.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Authority.--The term ``Authority'' means the Southern
Nevada Water Authority, organized under the law of the State of
Nevada.
(2) Committee.--The term ``Committee'' means the 28-member
Las Vegas Wash Coordination Committee, including
representatives of--
(A) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
(B) the Army Corps of Engineers;
(C) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(D) the National Park Service;
(E) the Bureau of Reclamation;
(F) the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
(G) the Southern Nevada Water Authority;
(H) the Nevada Division of Environmental
Protection, Clark County, Nevada (including the Clark
County Department of Parks and Recreation);
(I) the Clark County Sanitation District;
(J) the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and
Henderson, Nevada;
(K) the Clark County Regional Flood Control
District;
(L) other Federal, State, and local agencies;
(M) environmental groups; and
(N) private citizens.
(3) Project.--
(A) In general.--The term ``Project'' means the Las
Vegas Wash Wetlands Restoration and Lake Mead Water
Quality Improvement Project.
(B) Inclusions.--The term ``Project'' includes the
programs, features, components, projects, and
activities identified in the Comprehensive Adaptive
Management Plan for the Las Vegas Wash developed by the
Committee and dated January 20, 2000.
SEC. 4. PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT.
(a) In General.--In addition to the authorities under other Federal
law, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary
of the Interior may participate in the continued development and
implementation of the Project.
(b) Federal Assistance.--The Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the
Interior shall provide such research, technical assistance, interagency
coordination, and funding for--
(1) the collection and modeling of scientific and
hydrologic data; and
(2) the design and construction of--
(A) erosion control facilities;
(B) wetland restoration features;
(C) ground water interdiction facilities;
(D) treated effluent transport diffusion and reuse
features;
(E) water quality improvement facilities; and
(F) other project features developed under the Las
Vegas Wash Comprehensive Adaptive Management Plan.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5361-5362)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line