§ 1001. Declaration of policy

Erosion, floodwater, and sediment damages in the watersheds of the rivers and streams of the United States, causing loss of life and damage to property, constitute a menace to the national welfare; and it is the sense of Congress that the Federal Government should cooperate with States and their political subdivisions, soil or water conservation districts, flood prevention or control districts, and other local public agencies for the purpose of preventing such damages, of furthering the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, and the conservation and utilization of land and thereby of preserving, protecting, and improving the Nation’s land and water resources and the quality of the environment.

§ 1002. Definitions

• (1) flood prevention (including structural and land treatment measures),
• (2) the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, or
• (3) the conservation and proper utilization of land, in watershed or subwatershed area not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand acres and not including any single structure which provides more than twelve thousand five hundred acre-feet of floodwater detention capacity, and more than twenty-five thousand acre-feet of total capacity. No appropriation shall be made for any plan involving an estimated Federal contribution to construction costs in excess of $25,000,000, or which includes any structure which provides more than twenty-five hundred acre-feet of total capacity unless such plan has been approved by resolutions adopted by the appropriate committees of the Senate and House of Representatives: Provided , That in the case of any plan involving no single structure providing more than 4,000 acre-feet of total capacity the appropriate committees shall be the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and in the case of any plan involving any single structure of more than 4,000 acre-feet of total capacity the appropriate committees shall be the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the House of Representatives, respectively. Each project must contain benefits directly related to agriculture, including rural communities, that account for at least 20 percent of the total benefits of the project. A number of such sub­watersheds when they are component parts of a larger watershed may be planned together when the local sponsoring organizations so desire. “Local organization”—any State, political subdivision thereof, soil or water conservation district, flood prevention or control district, or combinations thereof, or any other agency having authority under State law to carry out, maintain and operate the works of improvement; or any irrigation or reservoir company, water users’ association, or similar organization having such authority and not being operated for profit that may be approved by the Secretary; or any Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in section 5304 of title 25 , having authority under Federal, State, or Indian tribal law to carry out, maintain, and operate the works of improvement.

§ 1003. Assistance to local organizations

• (a) In order to assist local organizations in preparing and carrying out plans for works of improvement, the Secretary is authorized, upon application of local organizations if such application has been submitted to, and not disapproved within 45 days by, the State agency having supervisory responsibility over programs provided for in this chapter, or by the Governor if there is no State agency having such responsibility—
  • (1) to conduct such investigations and surveys as may be necessary to prepare plans for works of improvement;
  • (2) to prepare plans and estimates required for adequate engineering evaluation;
  • (3) to make allocations of costs to the various purposes to show the basis of such allocations and to determine whether benefits exceed costs;
  • (4) to cooperate and enter into agreements with and to furnish financial and other assistance to local organizations: Provided , That, for the land-treatment measures, the Federal assistance shall not exceed the rate of assistance for similar practices under existing national programs;
  • (5) to obtain the cooperation and assistance of other Federal agencies in carrying out the purposes of this section;
  • (6) to enter into agreements with landowners, operators, and occupiers, individually or collectively, based on conservation plans of such landowners, operators, and occupiers which are developed in cooperation with and approved by the soil and water conservation district in which the land described in the agreement is situated, to be carried out on such land during a period of not to exceed ten years, providing for changes in cropping systems and land uses and for the installation of soil and water conservation practices and measures needed to conserve and develop the soil, water, woodland, wildlife, energy, and recreation resources of and enhance the water quality of lands within the area included in plans for works of improvement, as provided for in such plans, including watershed or subwatershed work plans in connection with the eleven watershed improvement programs authorized by section 13 of the Act of December 22, 1944 ( 58 Stat. 887 ), as amended and supplemented. Applications for assistance in developing such conservation plans shall be made in writing to the soil and water conservation district involved, and the proposed agreement shall be reviewed by such district. In return for such agreements by landowners, operators, and occupiers the Secretary shall agree to share the costs of carrying out those practices and measures set forth in the agreement for which he determines that cost sharing is appropriate and in the public interest. The portion of such costs, including labor, to be shared shall be that part which the Secretary determines is appropriate and in the public interest for the carrying out of the practices and measures set forth in the agreement, except that the Federal assistance shall not exceed the rate of assistance for similar practices and measures under existing national programs. The Secretary may terminate any agreement with a landowner, operator, or occupier by mutual agreement if the Secretary determines that such termination would be in the public interest, and may agree to such modifications of agreements, previously entered into hereunder, as he deems desirable to carry out the purposes of this paragraph or to facilitate the practical administration of the agreements provided for herein. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, to the extent he deems it desirable to carry out the purposes of this paragraph, may provide in any agreement hereunder for (1) preservation for a period not to exceed the period covered by the agreement and an equal period thereafter of the cropland, crop acreage, and allotment history applicable to land covered by the agreement for the purpose of any Federal program under which such history is used as a basis for an allotment or other limitation on the production of any crop; or (2) surrender of any such history and allotments.
• (b) The Secretary may waive the watershed plan for works of improvement if the Secretary determines that—
  • (1) the watershed plan is unnecessary or duplicative; and
  • (2) the works of improvement are otherwise consistent with applicable requirements under section 1004 of this title .

§ 1003a. Cost share assistance

• (a) The Secretary may provide cost share assistance to project sponsors to enable such sponsors to acquire perpetual wetland or floodplain conservation easements to perpetuate, restore and enhance the natural capability of wetlands and floodplains to retain excessive floodwaters, improve water quality and quantity, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.
• (b) The Secretary shall require that project sponsors of watershed projects provide up to 50 percent of the cost of acquiring easements under subsection (a).

§ 1004. Conditions for Federal assistance

The Secretary shall require as a condition to providing Federal assistance for the installation of works of improvement that local organizations shall—

• (1) acquire, or with respect to interests in land to be acquired by condemnation provide assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that they will acquire, without cost to the Federal Government from funds appropriated for the purposes of this chapter, such land, easements, or rights-of-way as will be needed in connection with works of improvement installed with Federal assistance: Provided , That when a local organization agrees to operate and maintain any reservoir or other area included in a plan for public fish and wildlife or recreational development, the Secretary shall be authorized to bear not to exceed one-half of the costs of (a) the land, easements, or rights-of-way acquired or to be acquired by the local organization for such reservoir or other area, and (b) minimum basic facilities needed for public health and safety, access to, and use of such reservoir or other area for such purposes: Provided further , That the Secretary shall be authorized to participate in recreational development in any watershed project only to the extent that the need therefor is demonstrated in accordance with standards established by him, taking into account the anticipated man-days of use of the projected recreational development and giving consideration to the availability within the region of existing water-based outdoor recreational developments: Provided further , That the Secretary shall be authorized to participate in not more than one recreational development in a watershed project containing less than seventy-five thousand acres, or two such developments in a project containing between seventy-five thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand acres, or three such developments in projects exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand acres: Provided further , That when the Secretary and a local organization have agreed that the immediate acquisition by the local organization of land, easements, or rights-of-way is advisable for the preservation of sites for works of improvement included in a plan from encroachment by residential, commercial, industrial, or other development, the Secretary shall be authorized to advance to the local organization from funds appropriated for construction of works of improvement the amounts required for the acquisition of such land, easements or rights-of-way; and, except where such costs are to be borne by the Secretary, such advance shall be repaid by the local organization, with interest, prior to construction of the works of improvement, for credit to such construction funds: Provided further , That the Secretary shall be authorized to bear an amount not to exceed one-half of the costs of the land, easements, or rights-of-way acquired or to be acquired by the local organization for mitigation of fish and wildlife habitat losses, and that such acquisition is not limited to the confines of the watershed project boundaries;
• (2) assume (A) such proportionate share, as is determined by the Secretary to be equitable in consideration of national needs and assistance authorized for similar purposes under other Federal programs, of the costs of installing any works of improvement, involving Federal assistance (excluding engineering costs), which is applicable to the agricultural phases of the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water or for fish and wildlife development, recreational development, ground water recharge, water quality management, or the conservation and proper utilization of land: Provided , That works of improvement for water quality management shall consist primarily of water storage capacity in reservoirs for regulation of streamflow, except that any such storage and water releases shall not be provided as a substitute for adequate treatment or other methods of controlling waste at the source, and shall be consistent with standards and regulations adopted by the Water Resources Council on Federal cost sharing for water quality management, and (B) all of the cost of installing any portion of such works applicable to other purposes except that any part of the construction cost (including engineering costs) applicable to flood prevention and features relating thereto shall be borne by the Federal Government and paid for by the Secretary out of funds appropriated for the purposes of this chapter: Provided , That, in addition to and without limitation on the authority of the Secretary to make loans or advancements under section 1006a of this title , the Secretary may pay for any storage of water for present or anticipated future demands or needs for municipal or industrial water included in any reservoir structure constructed or modified under the provisions of this chapter as hereinafter provided: Provided further , That the cost of water storage to meet future demands may not exceed 30 per centum of the total estimated cost of such reservoir structure and the local organization shall give reasonable assurances, and there is evidence, that such demands for the use of such storage will be made within a period of time which will permit repayment within the life of the reservoir structure of the cost of such storage: Provided further , That the Secretary shall determine prior to initiation of construction or modification of any reservoir structure including such water supply storage that there are adequate assurances by the local organization or by an agency of the State having authority to give such assurances, that the Secretary will be reimbursed the cost of water supply storage for anticipated future demands, and that the local organization will pay not less than 50 per centum of the cost of storage for present water supply demands: And provided further , That the cost to be borne by the local organization for anticipated future demands may be repaid within the life of the reservoir structure but in no event to exceed fifty years after the reservoir structure is first used for the storage of water for anticipated future water supply demands, except that (1) no reimbursement of the cost of such water supply storage for anticipated future demands need be made until such supply is first used, and (2) no interest shall be charged on the cost of such water-supply storage for anticipated future demands until such supply is first used, but in no case shall the interest-free period exceed ten years. The interest rate used for purposes of computing the interest on the unpaid balance shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of section 1006a of this title .
• (3) make arrangements satisfactory to the Secretary for defraying costs of operating and maintaining such works of improvement, in accordance with regulations presented by the Secretary of Agriculture;
• (4) acquire, or provide assurance that landowners or water users have acquired, such water rights, pursuant to State law, as may be needed in the installation and operation of the work of improvement;
• (5) obtain agreements to carry out recommended soil conservation measures and proper farm plans from owners of not less than 50 per centum of the land situated in the drainage area above each retention reservoir to be installed with Federal assistance; and
• (6) submit a plan of repayment satisfactory to the Secretary for any loan or advancement made under the provisions of section 1006a of this title .

§ 1005. Works of improvement

• (1) At such time as the Secretary and the interested local organization have agreed on a plan for works of improvement, and the Secretary has determined that the benefits exceed the costs, and the local organization has met the requirements for participation in carrying out the works of improvement as set forth in section 1004 of this title , the local organization may secure engineering and other services, including the design, preparation of contracts and specifications, awarding of contracts, and supervision of construction, in connection with such works of improvement, by retaining or employing a professional engineer or engineers satisfactory to the Secretary or may request the Secretary to provide such services: Provided , That if the local organization elects to employ a professional engineer or engineers, the Secretary shall reimburse the local organization for the costs of such engineering and other services secured by the local organization as are properly chargeable to such works of improvement in an amount not to exceed the amount agreed upon in the plan for works of improvement or any modification thereof: Provided further , That the Secretary may advance such amounts as may be necessary to pay for such services, but such advances with respect to any works of improvement shall not exceed 5 per centum of the estimated installation cost of such works.
• (2) Except as to the installation of works of improvement on Federal lands, the Secretary shall not construct or enter into any contract for the construction of any structure: Provided , That, if requested to do so by the local organization, the Secretary may enter into contracts for the construction of structures.
• (3) Whenever the estimated Federal contribution to the construction cost of works of improvement in the plan for any watershed or subwatershed area shall exceed $25,000,000 or the works of improvement include any structure having a total capacity in excess of twenty-five hundred acre-feet, the Secretary shall transmit a copy of the plan and the justification therefor to the Congress through the President.
• (4) Any plans for works of improvement involving an estimated Federal contribution to construction costs in excess of $25,000,000 or including any structure having a total capacity in excess of twenty-five hundred acre-feet (a) which includes works of improvement for reclamation or irrigation, or which affects public or other lands or wildlife under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, (b) which includes Federal assistance for floodwater detention structures, (c) which includes features which may affect the public health, or (d) which includes measures for control or abatement of water pollution, shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, respectively, for his views and recommendations at least thirty days prior to transmission of the plan to the Congress through the President. The views and recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, if received by the Secretary prior to the expiration of the above thirty-day period, shall accompany the plan transmitted by the Secretary to the Congress through the President.
• (5) Prior to any Federal participation in the works of improvement under this chapter, the President shall issue such rules and regulations as he deems necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and to assure the coordination of the work authorized under this chapter and related work of other agencies, including the Department of the Interior and the Department of the Army.

§ 1006. Cooperative programs

The Secretary is authorized in cooperation with other Federal and with States and local agencies to make investigations and surveys of the watershed of rivers and other waterways as a basis for the development of coordinated programs. In areas where the programs of the Secretary of Agriculture may affect public or other lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in the planning and development of works or programs for such lands.

§ 1006a. Loans or advancements for financing local share of costs; repayment; interest; maximum amount

• (a) to local organizations to finance the local share of costs of carrying out works of improvement provided for in this chapter, and
• (b) to State and local agencies to finance the local share of costs of carrying out works of improvement (as defined in section 1002 of this title ) in connection with the eleven watershed improvement programs authorized by section 13 of the Act of December 22, 1944 ( 58 Stat. 887 ), as amended and supplemented: Provided , That the works of improvement in connection with said eleven watershed improvement programs shall be integral parts of watershed or subwatershed work plans agreed upon by the Secretary of Agriculture and the concerned State and local agencies. A loan or advance under this section shall be made under a contract or agreement that provides, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate, for the repayment of the loan or advance in not more than 50 years from the date when the principal benefits of the works of improvement first become available, with interest at a rate not to exceed the current market yield for outstanding municipal obligations with remaining periods to maturity comparable to the average maturity for the loan, adjusted to the nearest ⅛ of 1 percent. With respect to any single plan for works of improvement, the amount of any such loan or advancement shall not exceed $10,000,000.

§ 1006b. Territorial application

The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

§ 1007. Authorization of appropriations

• (a) of section 1006a of this title shall be available for any works of improvement pursuant to this chapter or otherwise in connection with the eleven watershed improvement programs authorized by section 13 of the Act of December 22, 1944 ( 58 Stat. 887 ), as amended and supplemented, or for making loans or advancements to State and local agencies as authorized by clause
• (b) of section 1006a of this title .

§ 1008. Notification of Secretary of the Interior of approval of assistance; surveys and investigations; report and recommendations; consideration; cost of surveys, investigations and reports

When the Secretary approves the furnishing of assistance to a local organization in preparing a plan for works of improvement as provided for in section 1003 of this title :

• (1) The Secretary shall so notify the Secretary of the Interior in order that the latter, as he desires, may make surveys and investigations and prepare a report with recommendations concerning the conservation and development of wildlife resources and participate, under arrangements satisfactory to the Secretary of Agriculture, in the preparation of a plan for works of improvement that is acceptable to the local organization and the Secretary of Agriculture.
• (2) Full consideration shall be given to the recommendations contained in any such report of the Secretary of the Interior as he may submit to the Secretary of Agriculture prior to the time the local organization and the Secretary of Agriculture have agreed on a plan for works of improvement. The plan shall include such of the technically and economically feasible works of improvement for wildlife purposes recommended in the report by the Secretary of the Interior as are acceptable to, and agreed to by, the local organization and the Secretary of Agriculture, and such report of the Secretary of the Interior shall, if requested by the Secretary of the Interior, accompany the plan for works of improvement when it is submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture for approval or transmitted to the Congress through the President.
• (3) The cost of making surveys and investigations and of preparing reports concerning the conservation and development of wildlife resources shall be borne by the Secretary of the Interior out of funds appropriated to his Department.

§ 1009. Joint investigations and surveys by Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Agriculture; reports to Congress

The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Agriculture, when authorized to do so by resolutions adopted by the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate or the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the House of Representatives, are authorized and directed to make joint investigations and surveys in accordance with their existing authorities of watershed areas in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and to prepare joint reports on such investigations and surveys setting forth their recommendations for the installation of the works of improvement needed for flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water, and for flood control and allied purposes. Such joint reports shall be submitted to the Congress through the President for adoption and authorization by the Congress of the recommended works of improvement: Provided , That the project authorization procedure established by Public Law 566, Eighty-third Congress, as amended [ 16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.], shall not be affected.

§ 1010. Data

The Secretary shall collect and maintain data on a national and State by State basis concerning—

• (1) expenditures for the individual flood control and conservation measures for which assistance is provided under this chapter; and
• (2) the expected flood control or environmental (including soil erosion) benefits that will result from the implementation of such measures.

§ 1011. Watershed restoration and enhancement agreements

• (a) For fiscal year 1997 and each fiscal year thereafter, appropriations made for the Bureau of Land Management including appropriations for the Wildland Fire Management account allocated to the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs may be used by the Secretary of the Interior for the purpose of entering into cooperative agreements with the heads of other Federal agencies, tribal, State, and local governments, private and nonprofit entities, and landowners for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat and other resources on public or private land and the reduction of risk from natural disaster where public safety is threatened that benefit these resources on public lands within the watershed.
• (b) The Secretary of the Interior may enter into a watershed restoration and enhancement agreement—
  • (1) directly with a willing private landowner; or
  • (2) indirectly through an agreement with a state, local, or tribal government or other public entity, educational institution, or private nonprofit organization.
• (c) In order for the Secretary to enter into a watershed restoration and enhancement agreement—
  • (1) the agreement shall—
    • (A) include such terms and conditions mutually agreed to by the Secretary and the landowner;
    • (B) improve the viability of and otherwise benefit the fish, wildlife, and other biotic resources on public land in the watershed;
    • (C) authorize the provision of technical assistance by the Secretary in the planning of management activities that will further the purposes of the agreement;
    • (D) provide for the sharing of costs of implementing the agreement among the Federal government, 1 1 So in original. Probably should be capitalized. the landowner, and other entities, as mutually agreed on by the affected interests; and
    • (E) ensure that any expenditure by the Secretary pursuant to the agreement is determined by the Secretary to be in the public interest; and
  • (2) the Secretary may require such other terms and conditions as are necessary to protect the public investment on private lands, provided such terms and conditions are mutually agreed to by the Secretary and the landowner.

§ 1011a. Watershed agreements

• (a) For fiscal year 2006 and each fiscal year thereafter, to the extent funds are otherwise available, appropriations for the Forest Service may be used by the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of entering into cooperative agreements with willing Federal, tribal, State and local governments, private and nonprofit entities and landowners for the protection, restoration and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and other resources on public or private land, the reduction of risk from natural disaster where public safety is threatened, or a combination thereof or both that benefit these resources within the watershed.
• (b) The Secretary of Agriculture may enter into a watershed restoration and enhancement agreement—
  • (1) directly with a willing private landowner; or
  • (2) indirectly through an agreement with a State, local or tribal government or other public entity, educational institution, or private nonprofit organization.
• (c) In order for the Secretary to enter into a watershed restoration and enhancement agreement—
  • (1) the agreement shall—
    • (A) include such terms and conditions mutually agreed to by the Secretary and the landowner, state 1 1 So in original. Probably should be capitalized. or local government, or private or nonprofit entity;
    • (B) improve the viability of and otherwise benefit the fish, wildlife, and other resources on national forests lands within the watershed;
    • (C) authorize the provision of technical assistance by the Secretary in the planning of management activities that will further the purposes of the agreement;
    • (D) provide for the sharing of costs of implementing the agreement among the Federal Government, the landowner(s), and other entities, as mutually agreed on by the affected interests; and
    • (E) ensure that any expenditure by the Secretary pursuant to the agreement is determined by the Secretary to be in the public interest; and
  • (2) the Secretary may require such other terms and conditions as are necessary to protect the public investment on non-Federal lands, provided such terms and conditions are mutually agreed to by the Secretary and other landowners, State and local governments or both.
• (d) Chapter 63 of title 31 shall not apply to—
  • (1) a watershed restoration and enhancement agreement entered into under this section; or
  • (2) an agreement entered into under section 565a–1 of this title .
• (e) Not later than December 31, 1999 , the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate, which contains—
  • (1) A 2 2 So in original. Probably should not be capitalized. concise description of each project, including the project purpose, location on federal 1 and non-federal 3 3 So in original. Probably should be “non-Federal”. land, key activities, and all parties to the agreement.
  • (2) the funding and/or other contributions provided by each party for each project agreement.

§ 1012. Rehabilitation of structural measures near, at, or past their evaluated life expectancy

• (a) For purposes of this section:
  • (1) The term “rehabilitation”, with respect to a structural measure constructed as part of a covered water resource project, means the completion of all work necessary to extend the service life of the structural measure and meet applicable safety and performance standards. This may include: (A) protecting the integrity of the structural measure or prolonging the useful life of the structural measure beyond the original evaluated life expectancy; (B) correcting damage to the structural measure from a catastrophic event; (C) correcting the deterioration of structural components that are deteriorating at an abnormal rate; (D) upgrading the structural measure to meet changed land use conditions in the watershed served by the structural measure or changed safety criteria applicable to the structural measure; or (E) decommissioning the structure, if requested by the local organization.
  • (2) The term “covered water resource project” means a work of improvement carried out under any of the following:
    • (A) This chapter.
    • (B) Section 13 of the Act of December 22, 1944 ( Public Law 78–534 ; 58 Stat. 905 ).
    • (C) The pilot watershed program authorized under the heading “ Flood Prevention ” of the Department of Agriculture Appropriation Act, 1954 (Public Law 156; 67 Stat. 214 ).
    • (D) Subtitle H of title XV of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 ( 16 U.S.C. 3451 et seq.; commonly known as the Resource Conservation and Development Program).
  • (3) The term “structural measure” means a physical improvement that impounds water, commonly known as a dam, which was constructed as part of a covered water resource project, including the impoundment area and flood pool.
• (b)
  • (1) The Secretary may provide financial assistance to a local organization to cover a portion of the total costs incurred for the rehabilitation of structural measures originally constructed as part of a covered water resource project. The total costs of rehabilitation include the costs associated with all components of the rehabilitation project, including acquisition of land, easements, and rights-of-ways, rehabilitation project administration, the provision of technical assistance, contracting, and construction costs, except that the local organization shall be responsible for securing all land, easements, or rights-of-ways necessary for the project.
  • (2) The amount of Federal funds that may be made available under this subsection to a local organization for construction of a particular rehabilitation project shall be equal to 65 percent of the total rehabilitation costs, but not to exceed 100 percent of actual construction costs incurred in the rehabilitation. However, the local organization shall be responsible for the costs of water, mineral, and other resource rights and all Federal, State, and local permits.
  • (3) As a condition on entering into an agreement to provide financial assistance under this subsection, the Secretary, working in concert with the affected unit or units of general purpose local government, may require that proper zoning or other developmental regulations are in place in the watershed in which the structural measures to be rehabilitated under the agreement are located so that—
    • (A) the completed rehabilitation project is not quickly rendered inadequate by additional development; and
    • (B) society can realize the full benefits of the rehabilitation investment.
• (c) The Secretary, acting through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, may provide technical assistance in planning, designing, and implementing rehabilitation projects should a local organization request such assistance. Such assistance may consist of specialists in such fields as engineering, geology, soils, agronomy, biology, hydraulics, hydrology, economics, water quality, and contract administration.
• (d)
  • (1) Rehabilitation assistance provided under this section may not be used to perform operation and maintenance activities specified in the agreement for the covered water resource project entered into between the Secretary and the local organization responsible for the works of improvement. Such operation and maintenance activities shall remain the responsibility of the local organization, as provided in the project work plan.
  • (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), as part of the provision of financial assistance under subsection (b), the Secretary may renegotiate the original agreement for the covered water resource project entered into between the Secretary and the local organization regarding responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the project when the rehabilitation is finished.
• (e) A local organization may apply to the Secretary for technical and financial assistance under this section if the application has also been submitted to and approved by the State agency having supervisory responsibility over the covered water resource project at issue or, if there is no State agency having such responsibility, by the Governor of the State. The Secretary shall request the State dam safety officer (or equivalent State official) to be involved in the application process if State permits or approvals are required. The rehabilitation of structural measures shall meet standards established by the Secretary and address other dam safety issues. At the request of the local organization, personnel of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture may assist in preparing applications for assistance.
• (f) The Secretary shall establish such system of approving rehabilitation requests, recognizing that such requests will be received throughout the fiscal year and subject to the availability of funds to carry out this section, as is necessary for proper administration by the Department of Agriculture and equitable for all local organizations. The approval process shall be in writing, and made known to all local organizations and appropriate State agencies.
• (g) The Secretary may not approve a rehabilitation request if the need for rehabilitation of the structure is the result of a lack of adequate maintenance by the party responsible for the maintenance.
• (h)
  • (1) In carrying out this section, of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available, to remain available until expended—
    • (A) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
    • (B) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
    • (C) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
    • (D) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
    • (E) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
    • (F) $0 for fiscal year 2008;
    • (G) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, to be available until expended; and
    • (H) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, to remain available until expended.
  • (2) In addition to amounts made available under paragraph (1), there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section, to remain available until expended—
    • (A) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
    • (B) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
    • (C) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
    • (D) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
    • (E) $85,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023.
• (i) The Secretary, in concert with the responsible State agencies, shall conduct an assessment of the rehabilitation needs of covered water resource projects in all States in which such projects are located.
• (j)
  • (1) The Secretary shall maintain a data base to track the benefits derived from rehabilitation projects supported under this section and the expenditures made under this section. On the basis of such data and the reports submitted under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress an annual report providing the status of activities conducted under this section.
  • (2) Not later than 90 days after the completion of a specific rehabilitation project for which assistance is provided under this section, the local organization that received the assistance shall make a report to the Secretary giving the status of any rehabilitation effort undertaken using financial assistance provided under this section.

§ 1012a. Funding

In addition to any other funds made available by this chapter, of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this chapter $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter.

§ 1015. Definitions

In this chapter:

• (1) The term “affected stakeholder” means an entity that significantly affects, or is significantly affected by, the quality or quantity of water in a watershed, as determined by the Secretary.
• (2) The term “grant recipient” means a watershed group that the Secretary has selected to receive a grant under section 1015a(c)(2) of this title .
• (3) The term “program” means the Cooperative Watershed Management Program established by the Secretary under section 1015a(a) of this title .
• (4) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.
• (5) The term “watershed group” means a self-sustaining, cooperative watershed-wide group that—
  • (A) is comprised of representatives of the affected stakeholders of the relevant watershed;
  • (B) incorporates the perspectives of a diverse array of stakeholders, including, to the maximum extent practicable—
    • (i) representatives of—
      • (I) hydroelectric production;
      • (II) livestock grazing;
      • (III) timber production;
      • (IV) land development;
      • (V) recreation or tourism;
      • (VI) irrigated agricultural production;
      • (VII) the environment;
      • (VIII) potable water purveyors and industrial water users; and
      • (IX) private property owners within the watershed;
    • (ii) any Federal agency that has authority with respect to the watershed;
    • (iii) any State agency that has authority with respect to the watershed;
    • (iv) any local agency that has authority with respect to the watershed; and
    • (v) any Indian tribe that—
      • (I) owns land within the watershed; or
      • (II) has land in the watershed that is held in trust;
  • (C) is a grassroots, nonregulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the relevant watershed;
  • (D) is capable of promoting the sustainable use of the water resources of the relevant watershed and improving the functioning condition of rivers and streams through—
    • (i) water conservation;
    • (ii) improved water quality;
    • (iii) ecological resiliency; and
    • (iv) the reduction of water conflicts; and
  • (E) makes decisions on a consensus basis, as defined in the bylaws of the watershed group.
• (6) The term “watershed management project” means any project (including a demonstration project) that—
  • (A) enhances water conservation, including alternative water uses;
  • (B) improves water quality;
  • (C) improves ecological resiliency of a river or stream;
  • (D) reduces the potential for water conflicts; or
  • (E) advances any other goals associated with water quality or quantity that the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

§ 1015a. Program

• (a) Not later than 180 days after March 30, 2009 , the Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program”, under which the Secretary shall provide grants—
  • (1)
    • (A) to form a watershed group; or
    • (B) to enlarge a watershed group; and
  • (2) to conduct 1 or more projects in accordance with the goals of a watershed group.
• (b)
  • (1) Not later than 1 year after March 30, 2009 , the Secretary shall establish—
    • (A) an application process for the program; and
    • (B) in consultation with the States, prioritization and eligibility criteria for considering applications submitted in accordance with the application process.
• (c)
  • (1) In distributing grant funds under this section, the Secretary—
    • (A) shall comply with paragraph (2); and
    • (B) may give priority to watershed groups that—
      • (i) represent maximum diversity of interests; or
      • (ii) serve subbasin-sized watersheds with an 8-digit hydrologic unit code, as defined by the United States Geological Survey.
  • (2)
    • (A)
      • (i) The Secretary may provide to a grant recipient a first-phase grant in an amount not greater than $100,000 each year for a period of not more than 3 years.
      • (ii) A grant recipient that receives a first-phase grant shall use the funds—
        • (I) to establish or enlarge a watershed group;
        • (II) to develop a mission statement for the watershed group;
        • (III) to develop project concepts; and
        • (IV) to develop a restoration plan.
      • (iii)
        • (I) For each year of a first-phase grant, not later than 270 days after the date on which a grant recipient first receives grant funds for the year, the Secretary shall determine whether the grant recipient has made sufficient progress during the year to justify additional funding.
        • (II) If the Secretary determines under subclause (I) that the progress of a grant recipient during the year covered by the determination justifies additional funding, the Secretary shall provide to the grant recipient grant funds for the following year.
      • (iv) A grant recipient shall not be eligible to receive a second-phase grant under subparagraph (B) until the date on which the Secretary determines that the watershed group—
        • (I) has approved articles of incorporation and bylaws governing the organization; and
        • (II)
      • (v) A watershed group that has not applied for or received first-phase grants may apply for and receive second-phase grants under subparagraph (B) if the Secretary determines that the group has satisfied the requirements of first-phase grants.
    • (B)
      • (i) A watershed group may apply for and receive second-phase grants of $1,000,000 each year for a period of not more than 4 years if—
        • (I) the watershed group has applied for and received watershed grants under subparagraph (A); or
        • (II) the Secretary determines that the watershed group has satisfied the requirements of first-phase grants.
      • (ii) A grant recipient that receives a second-phase grant shall use the funds to plan and carry out watershed management projects.
      • (iii)
        • (I) For each year of the second-phase grant, not later than 270 days after the date on which a grant recipient first receives grant funds for the year, the Secretary shall determine whether the grant recipient has made sufficient progress during the year to justify additional funding.
        • (II) If the Secretary determines under subclause (I) that the progress of a grant recipient during the year justifies additional funding, the Secretary shall provide to the grant recipient grant funds for the following year.
      • (iv) A grant recipient shall not be eligible to receive a third-phase grant under subparagraph (C) until the date on which the Secretary determines that the grant recipient has—
        • (I) completed each requirement of the second-phase grant; and
        • (II) demonstrated that 1 or more pilot projects of the grant recipient have resulted in demonstrable improvements, as determined by the Secretary, in the functioning condition of at least 1 river or stream in the watershed.
    • (C)
      • (i)
        • (I) Except as provided in subclause (II), the Secretary may provide to a grant recipient a third-phase grant in an amount not greater than $5,000,000 for a period of not more than 5 years.
        • (II) The Secretary may provide to a grant recipient a third-phase grant in an amount that is greater than the amount described in subclause (I) if the Secretary determines that the grant recipient is capable of using the additional amount to further the purposes of the program in a way that could not otherwise be achieved by the grant recipient using the amount described in subclause (I).
      • (ii) A grant recipient that receives a third-phase grant shall use the funds to plan and carry out at least 1 watershed management project.
  • (3) A grant recipient that receives a grant under this section may use the funds—
    • (A) to pay for—
      • (i) administrative and coordination costs, if the costs are not greater than the lesser of—
        • (I) 20 percent of the total amount of the grant; or
        • (II) $100,000;
      • (ii) the salary of not more than 1 full-time employee of the watershed group; and
      • (iii) any legal fees arising from the establishment of the relevant watershed group; and
    • (B) to fund—
      • (i) water quality and quantity studies of the relevant watershed; and
      • (ii) the planning, design, and implementation of any projects relating to water quality or quantity.
• (d)
  • (1) The Federal share of the cost of an activity provided assistance through a first-phase grant shall be 100 percent.
  • (2)
    • (A) The Federal share of the cost of any activity of a watershed management project provided assistance through a second-phase grant shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the activity.
    • (B) The non-Federal share under subparagraph (A) may be in the form of in-kind contributions.
  • (3)
    • (A) The Federal share of the costs of any activity of a watershed group of a grant recipient relating to a watershed management project provided assistance through a third-phase grant shall not exceed 50 percent of the total costs of the watershed management project.
    • (B) The non-Federal share under subparagraph (A) may be in the form of in-kind contributions.
• (e)
  • (1) Not later than 1 year after the date on which a grant recipient first receives funds under this section, and annually thereafter, in accordance with paragraph (2), the watershed group shall submit to the Secretary a report that describes the progress of the watershed group.
  • (2) The contents of an annual report required under paragraph (1) shall contain sufficient information to enable the Secretary to complete each report required under subsection (f), as determined by the Secretary.
• (f) Not later than 5 years after March 30, 2009 , and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that describes—
  • (1) the ways in which the program assists the Secretary—
    • (A) in addressing water conflicts;
    • (B) in conserving water;
    • (C) in improving water quality; and
    • (D) in improving the ecological resiliency of a river or stream; and
  • (2) benefits that the program provides, including, to the maximum extent practicable, a quantitative analysis of economic, social, and environmental benefits.
• (g) There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—
  • (1) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009;
  • (2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
  • (3) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
  • (4) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2020.

§ 1015b. Effect of chapter

Nothing in this chapter affects the applicability of any Federal, State, or local law with respect to any watershed group.