Dalles Watershed Development Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 655, the Dalles Watershed Development Act.

The City of The Dalles, located in my district, depends on its municipal watershed for almost all of its supply of drinking water. Protecting and managing this watershed is vital to the health, safety, and future of The Dalles community.

Today, that task is complicated by the fact that critical infrastructure, the Crow Creek Reservoir and the surrounding timbered area, is located on both City-owned and federally managed Forest Service lands.

The City operates these facilities under a special use permit, which is inefficient and costly and limits the City's ability to expeditiously expand and modernize this water supply.

The City of The Dalles is a growing City. It is an important City, and it is one that deserves this kind of help and attention. I am happy to bring this bill to achieve this purpose.

This bill offers a practical solution by transferring 150 acres of Forest Service land within the watershed of the City into the City's ownership. This transfer will allow the City of The Dalles to officially upgrade the Crow Creek Dam, increase its reservoir capacity by 2,100 acre-feet, eliminate the need for ongoing special use permits with Forest Service, and allow implementation of a comprehensive watershed management strategy. We would also save tens of thousands of dollars in administrative costs for both the City and the Forest Service.

Mr. Speaker, this is a narrowly tailored, community-driven proposal that directly supports clean water, public safety, economic growth, and good government.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Westerman and the members of the committee for their support of this bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 655.

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