Protect Our Water Rights Act

Protect Our Water Rights Act

This bill requires the Bureau of Reclamation to modify the operation of water service contracts for the Central Valley Project (CVP) in California and the Klamath River Basin Reclamation Project in California and Oregon.

Reclamation owns and operates the CVP, a federal water project consisting of a network of dams, reservoirs, and other facilities. CVP water is delivered to users that have contracts with Reclamation, but dry conditions have resulted in Reclamation reducing the water allocations for contracted water supplies.

This bill requires Reclamation to allocate to existing agricultural water service contractors within the CVP's Sacramento River Watershed (1) 100% of the contracted amount of water in a wet or above normal year, (2) not less than 75% of the contracted amount in a below normal year, and (3) not less than 50% of the contracted amount in a dry or critically dry year.

Reclamation must hold at least one in-person field hearing in each county where a CVP water service contractor is located in the period between the project's initial water allocation and final water allocation announcement.

The bill modifies the share of operation and maintenance costs paid by CVP water service contractors.

Reclamation must also operate the Klamath River Basin Reclamation Project, a similar federal water project, so that all of the water in Upper Klamath Lake above a certain elevation is solely for agricultural and refuge purposes. Reclamation must conduct these operations in a manner that maximizes water storage in the lake, to the extent practicable.