Ken Calvert: “The bill authorized the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to plan, design, and construct fish screens…”

“The bill authorized the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to plan, design, and construct fish screens, fish passage devices, and related features to mitigate impacts on fisheries related to irrigation system water diversions by local government entities in the Pacific Ocean drainage of the States of Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho. It has been demonstrated that fish screens and passages are an effective way to protect migrating fish from the deadly effects of water diversion projects. H.R. 1444 will encourage the construction of these fish-saving devices. This is a sound conservation bill, and I urge Members to vote aye.”