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.....................................................................
(Original Signature of Member)

H. R. ll

114TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION

To direct the Secretary of the Army to provide for modification of certain

Federal water resources development projects on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. GRAHAM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on llllllllllllll

A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Army to provide for modification of certain Federal water resources development
projects on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint
Rivers, and for other purposes.
1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3

SECTION 1. APALACHICOLA, CHATTAHOOCHEE, AND FLINT

RIVER PROJECTS.

(a) DEFINITIONS.In this section:

6
7

(1)

PROJECTS.The

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2
1

Flint projects means the Federal water resources

projects on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and

Flint Rivers in the States of Alabama, Florida, and

Georgia authorized by section 2 of the Act of March

2, 1945 (59 Stat. 17, chapter 19; 60 Stat. 635,

chapter 595) and section 203 of the Flood Control

Act of 1962 (76 Stat. 1182), including

(A) Buford Dam and Reservoir;

(B) West Point Dam and Reservoir;

10

(C) George W. Andrews Dam and Res-

11

ervoir;

12

(D) Walter F. George Dam and Reservoir;

13

and

14

(E) Jim Woodruff Dam and Reservoir.

15

(2) FRESHWATER

term fresh-

16

water flows means the quality, quantity, timing,

17

and variability of freshwater flows required

18

(A) to support and reestablish

19

(i) the physical, chemical, biological,

20

and overall ecological integrity of the com-

21

ponents, functions, and natural processes

22

required for a thriving and resilient Chat-

23

tahoochee River, Apalachicola River, Apa-

24

lachicola River floodplain, and Apalachicola

25

Bay;

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FLOWS.The

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1

(ii) commercial and recreational fish-

eries dependent on freshwater flows into

Apalachicola Bay and adjacent waters, in-

cluding the Gulf of Mexico; and

(iii) thriving and diverse fish, wildlife,

and plant populations having species com-

position, diversity, adaptability, and func-

tional organization similar to those found

in the Chattahoochee River and Apalachi-

10

cola River ecosystems prior to construction

11

of

12

projects;

13

(B) to restore and recover species that are

14

the

Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint

endangered, threatened, or at risk; and

15

(C) to prevent significantly harmful ad-

16

verse impacts to the Chattahoochee River and

17

Apalachicola River ecosystems.

18

(b) PROJECT MODIFICATION.Notwithstanding any

19 authorized purpose of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee20 Flint projects, the Secretary shall operate the Apalachi21 cola-Chattahoochee-Flint projects in a manner that en22 sures the maintenance of freshwater flows.
23

(c) REVISION OF WATER CONTROL MANUALS.

24
25

(1) IN

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later than 18 months

after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-

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GENERAL.Not

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1

retary shall complete the ongoing revision of the

water control manuals for the Apalachicola-Chat-

tahoochee-Flint projects and issue revised water con-

trol manuals for those projects that ensure the

maintenance of freshwater flows.

(2) OPERATIONAL

car-

rying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure

that operational modifications needed to maintain

freshwater flows are achieved, to the maximum ex-

10

tent practicable, while providing system-wide balance

11

in conservation storage through the maintenance of

12

water levels within the same action zone for each of

13

the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint project res-

14

ervoirs.

15
16

(3) INDEPENDENT

PEER REVIEW OF WATER

CONTROL MANUALS.

17

(A) IN

GENERAL.The

Secretary shall

18

enter into an arrangement with the National

19

Academy of Sciences under which the National

20

Academy of Sciences shall carry out an inde-

21

pendent peer review of each revised water con-

22

trol manual, as required under section 2034 of

23

the Water Resources Development Act of 2007

24

(33 U.S.C. 2343).

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MODIFICATIONS.In

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1

(B) COMPLIANCE.Each independent peer

review under this paragraph shall comply with

section 2034 of the Water Resources Develop-

ment Act of 2007 (33 U.S.C. 2343).

(4) FINAL

APPROVAL.Before

a final water

control manual may be issued, the Secretary shall

obtain written approval of each water control man-

ual developed under this subsection from

(A) the Administrator of the Environ-

10

mental Protection Agency;

11

(B) the Director of the United States Fish

12

and Wildlife Service;

13

(C) the Director of the National Oceanic

14

and Atmospheric Administration; and

15

(D) the Director of the United States Geo-

16

logical Survey.

17

(d) APPLICABILITY

OF

OTHER FEDERAL

AND

STATE

18 LAWS.Except as provided in subsection (b), nothing in

19 this section waives, limits, or otherwise affects the applica20 bility of any provision of Federal or State law that would
21 otherwise apply to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint
22 projects.

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