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Title IV — Drought preparedness and resilience

S. 2771 · 113th Congress · Jul 31, 2014 · Lineage

IV Drought preparedness and resilience

Sec. 401 National drought resilience guidelines

(a)
In general— The Administrator, in conjunction with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other appropriate Federal agency heads along with State and local governments, shall develop nonregulatory national drought resilience guidelines relating to drought preparedness planning and investments for communities, water utilities, and other water users and providers.
(b)
Consultation— In developing the national drought resilience guidelines, the Administrator and other Federal agency heads referred to in subsection (a) shall consult with—
(1)
State and local governments;
(2)
water utilities;
(3)
scientists;
(4)
institutions of higher education;
(5)
relevant private entities; and
(6)
other stakeholders.
(c)
Contents— The national drought resilience guidelines developed under this section shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide recommendations for a period of 10 years that—
(1)
address a broad range of potential actions, including—
(A)
analysis of the impacts of climate change and drought on the future effectiveness of water management tools;
(B)
the identification of drought-related water management challenges in a broad range of fields, including—
(i)
public health and safety;
(ii)
municipal and industrial water supply;
(iii)
agricultural water supply;
(iv)
water quality;
(v)
ecosystem health; and
(vi)
water supply planning;
(C)
water management tools to reduce drought-related impacts, including—
(i)
water use efficiency through gallons per capita reduction goals, appliance efficiency standards, water pricing incentives, and other measures;
(ii)
water recycling;
(iii)
groundwater clean-up and storage;
(iv)
new technologies, such as behavioral water efficiency; and
(v)
stormwater capture and reuse;
(D)
water-related energy and greenhouse gas reduction strategies; and
(E)
public education and engagement; and
(2)
include recommendations relating to the processes that Federal, State, and local governments and water utilities should consider when developing drought resilience preparedness and plans, including—
(A)
the establishment of planning goals;
(B)
the evaluation of institutional capacity;
(C)
the assessment of drought-related risks and vulnerabilities, including the integration of climate-related impacts;
(D)
the establishment of a development process, including an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of potential strategies;
(E)
the inclusion of private entities, technical advisors, and other stakeholders in the development process;
(F)
implementation and financing issues; and
(G)
evaluation of the plan, including any updates to the plan.

Sec. 402 Drought preparedness for fisheries

(a)
Definitions— In this section:
(1)
Indian tribe— The term Indian tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
(2)
Qualified tribal government— The term qualified tribal government means a governmental body of an Indian tribe that the Secretary of the Interior determines—
(A)
is involved in salmon management and recovery activities under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and
(B)
has the management and organizational capability to maximize the benefits of assistance provided under this section.
(b)
Salmon drought plan—
(1)
In general— Not later than January 1, 2016, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall, in consultation with the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Commissioner of Reclamation, the Chief of Engineers, and the head of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, prepare a salmon drought plan for the State of California.
(2)
Contents— The plan developed under paragraph (1) shall—
(A)
contribute—
(i)
to the recovery of populations listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and
(ii)
to the goals of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (title XXXIV of Public Law 102–575; 106 Stat. 4706); and
(B)
include options to protect salmon populations originating in the State of California, with a particular focus on actions that can be taken to aid salmon populations in the State of California during the driest 12 years, such as—
(i)
relocating the release location and timing of hatchery fish to avoid predation and temperature impacts;
(ii)
barging hatchery release fish to improve survival and reduce straying;
(iii)
coordinating with water users, the Commissioner of Reclamation, and the head of the California Department of Water Resources regarding voluntary water transfers to determine if water released upstream to meet the needs of downstream or South-of-Delta water users can be managed in a way that provides additional benefits for salmon;
(iv)
hatchery management modifications, such as expanding hatchery production during the driest years of fish listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), if appropriate; and
(v)
increasing rescue operations of upstream migrating fish.
(c)
Funding—
(1)
In general— Out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to carry out this section $3,000,000, to remain available until expended, for urgent fish, stream, and hatchery activities relating to extreme drought conditions, including work carried out in conjunction with the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Commissioner of Reclamation, the Chief of Engineers, the head of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or a qualified tribal government.
(2)
Receipt and acceptance— The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out this section the funds transferred under paragraph (1), without further appropriation.