George P. Radanovich: “the Pactola Dam, located near Rapid City, South Dakota, stores water from Rapid Creek and is part of the Pick-Sloan…”

“the Pactola Dam, located near Rapid City, South Dakota, stores water from Rapid Creek and is part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. This bill authorizes reallocation of a portion of the construction costs of the Pactola Dam and Reservoir from irrigation purposes to municipal and industrial and fish and wildlife purposes. The effort to reallocate Pactola Dam costs stems from the population growth around Rapid City, with corresponding increases in demand for M&I water and decreases in demand for irrigation water. Pactola Dam originally provided water storage for flood control, irrigation, and M&I uses. A 40-year water service contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and Rapid City for M&I water expired in 1991. Water for Rapid City has been subsequently provided under annual contracts. A second 40-year contract between reclamation and the Rapid Valley Conservancy District for irrigation water expired in 2001. The district decided not to renew this contract due to decreased irrigation demand and sufficient alternative water sources. Since the district no longer needs Pactola water, repayment of construction costs originally allocated to irrigation can be reallocated to M&I uses and fish and wildlife purposes. Under law, Congress must authorize this reallocation. As I close with the Resources Committee issues today, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Lisa Pittman, our chief counsel on the Resources Committee, for all her hard work during the 109th Congress.”