H.R. 29 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal, domestic, military, and other uses from the Santa Margarita River, California.

== Detailed Summary ==

<summary>
Authorizes<b>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) to construct, operate, and maintain the Santa Margarita River Project in accordance with the final feasibility report and this Act. measure.)</b>

Authorizes Project construction only after(Sec. 2) Authorizes the Secretary determines that: (1) the Fallbrook Public Utility District, San Diego County, and the Navy have entered into contracts to repay to the United States appropriate costs; (2) the authorized California officer or agency has granted water use permits to the Bureau of Reclamation; (3) the District has agreed that it will not assert against the United States any prior rightInterior (the Secretary) to water in excess of the quantity deliverable under this Actconstruct, operate, and will sharemaintain a project to provide water based on equal priorityfor irrigation, municipal, domestic, military, and a specified ratio; and (4)other uses from the Secretary has determined thatSanta Margarita River, California, in accordance with the Project has economic, environmental,final feasibility report and engineering feasibility.this Act.

Provides that, upon Project completion,Authorizes project construction only after the Department ofSecretary determines that: (1) the Fallbrook Public Utility District, San Diego County, and the Navy shall be responsiblehave entered into contracts to repay only that portionto the United States appropriate costs; (2) the authorized California officer or agency has granted water use permits to the Bureau of costsReclamation; (3) the District has agreed that it will not assert against the SecretaryUnited States any prior right to water in excess of the quantity deliverable under this Act and will share water based on equal priority and a specified ratio; and (4) the Navy Secretary determine reflectshas determined that the extent to which the Department benefits from the Project. project has economic, environmental, and engineering feasibility.

Permits operation(Sec. 3) Provides that, upon project completion, the Department of the Project byNavy shall be responsible to repay only that portion of costs that the Secretary and the Navy Secretary determine reflects the extent to which the Secretary,Department benefits from the District, or a third party consistent with this Act. project.

Requires(Sec. 4) Permits operation of the project by the Secretary, the District, or a third party consistent with this Act. Requires the Department and the District to participate in the Projectproject yield on the basis of equal priority, with 60% of the Project'sproject's yield allotted to the Navy Secretary and 40% allotted to the District. Sets forth provisions governing the sale and delivery of excess water.

Requires(Sec. 5) Requires the District's general repayment obligation to be determined by the Secretary consistent with the Reclamation Project Act of 1939.

Authorizes(Sec. 6) Authorizes the Secretary to transfer operation of the Projectproject to the District or a mutually agreed upon third party. Provides that if such a transfer takes place, the District shall be entitled to an equitable credit for the costs associated with the Secretary's proportionate share of the project's operation and maintenance.

(Sec. 7) Provides that the basis, measure, and limit of all U.S. rights pertaining to the use of water under this Act shall be California law.

(Sec. 8) Prohibits the project from being administered or operated in any way that would impair or deplete the quantities of water the United States would have been entitled to use under California law had the project not been built, unless otherwise agreed by the Navy Secretary.

(Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 10) Requires the Secretary and the Navy Secretary to report to Congress regarding whether and how the conditions specified by this Act have been met.

(Sec. 11) Terminates the Secretary's authority to complete project construction 10 years after this Act's enactment.
</summary>

<!--Leave in the 'summary' tags if you want the latest summary from the Congressional Research Service automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. -->

== Status of the Legislation ==

<status>
Latest Major Action: 1/15/2008: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 309.
</status>

<!-- Leave in the 'status' tags if you want the latest reported status from THOMAS automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. -->

== Points in Favor ==

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)
<!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! -->

== Points Against ==

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)
<!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! -->