Little Butte/Bear Creek Subbasins Water Feasibility Act
Key claim: The Interior Department’s Bureau of Reclamation would be allowed to join a City of Medford water-management study and environmental review for the Little Butte and Bear Creek subbasins, with non-federal partners covering half the federal cost.
Abstract
(S251 · 109th Congress) (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on October 27, 2005. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Little Butte/Bear Creek Subbasins Water Feasibility Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to participate in the Water for Irrigation, Streams and the Economy Project water management feasibility study and environmental impact statement in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement Between City of Medford and Bureau of Reclamation for the Water for Irrigation, Streams and the Economy Project, dated July 2, 2004. Authorizes appropriations. Sets the non-federal share at 50% of the Bureau’s costs in carrying out this Act. Permits the non-federal share to be in the form of certain in-kind services. Latest action (2005-12-02): Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
Why this matters
Reclamation’s participation would bring federal technical resources and NEPA-compliant environmental review to a local Oregon water-supply planning effort, potentially shaping how the Rogue Valley manages irrigation, municipal supply, and instream flows. The 50/50 cost share is a standard Reclamation feasibility structure, meaning Medford-area ratepayers and partners would carry half the federal study cost in exchange for federal engineering and permitting groundwork.