§390g–2 Phase Ii of Groundwater Recharge Demonstration Program

Summary

The Bureau must design, build, and run demonstration projects to recharge groundwater in the High Plains States and other Reclamation Act States. These projects must follow State water laws and any interstate water agreements. The Secretary, working through the Bureau, must hire those States to study different ways to share project costs, and to check whether recharge projects are economically and legally possible. Within 12 months after phase II starts, and every year after that, the Secretary must send interim reports to Congress about progress and findings on the projects and the cost studies. Within 5 years after phase II starts, the Secretary must send a summary report with a full evaluation of the demonstration projects, the study results, recommendations on where and how to build permanent recharge projects the Bureau would run, and whether these projects can fit into existing reclamation work. Each project ends five years after its construction is finished. At the end of phase II the Secretary must send a final, detailed report to Congress.