§617e Uses to Be Made of Dam and Reservoir; Title in Whom; Leases, Regulations; Limitation on Authority

Summary

Use the dam and reservoir for three main things: to control the river and help navigation and floods, to provide irrigation and home water while protecting current water rights under Article VIII of the Colorado River compact, and to produce power. The United States keeps ownership of the dam, reservoir, power plant, and related works forever. The U.S. will run and manage them unless Congress says otherwise. The Secretary of the Interior may lease parts of the government-built power plant or lease water for power generation. When he does, the rules in section 617d apply to revenue, lease terms, renewals, competing applications, and shared use of transmission lines. The Secretary must make and enforce rules like those in the Federal Power Act about upkeep, accounting, setting rates when states do not, valuing property for rates, transferring or extending contracts, recovering excessive profits, taking or using lessee property in an emergency, and penalties. The Federal Power Commission must not approve power permits affecting the Colorado River (except the Gila River) in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, or California until this subchapter is effective under section 617c.