September 18, 2014

On September 18, Democrats and Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee approved three bills that help to create and expand surface storage water projects. The bills, which include the Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act (H.R. 3980), the Accelerated Revenue, Repayment, and Surface Water Storage Enhancement Act (H.R. 3981), and the Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act (H.R. 5412), aim to update and improve the permitting and funding processes for federal and non-federal surface water storage projects.

Surface water storage projects such as dams and reservoirs enable communities to store and control the flow of water. These projects help to provide resources for energy generation, farming, recreation, fisheries, and navigation. The current permitting process for surface water storage projects is “convoluted… [and] a host of federal agencies require a dizzying array of permits, decisions, and approvals,” according to Subcommittee on Water and Power Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA). The bills streamline this process by coordinating schedules and sharing information between federal agencies and accelerating studies.

The bills will move on for consideration by the full House of Representatives.

Source: House Natural Resources Committee