To provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1337.

This bill, which I authored, provides for a water feasibility study to ascertain additional sources of water for the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District, which serves the cities of Norman, Midwest City, and Del City, Oklahoma. This bill provides limited Federal assistance, with the Conservancy District providing a local 50/50 match and demonstrating their dedication to this critical initiative. This legislation will help address and alleviate the water challenges facing these three cities. I would like to commend and sincerely thank all the parties involved in working hard to help see this bill pass into public law.

The primary source of water for the Conservancy District is Lake Thunderbird, completed in 1965 by the Bureau of Reclamation. Incidentally, since 1988 one of the cities serviced by the Conservancy District, Norman, Oklahoma, has on numerous occasions exceeded their annual share of Lake Thunderbird's supplies. As a result, Norman has been forced to pull additional water from its original water source used before Lake Thunderbird was built and create an emergency supply line from

nearby Oklahoma City. Recognizing that the projected demand on water supply will only increase as these three cities grow in population, the Conservancy District is taking proactive steps to find long-range solutions to their water needs.

In 2003, working with the Conservancy District and recognizing the water strain in central Oklahoma, Congress provided the Bureau of Reclamation with funding for an initial water study, which it completed in August of 2005. This appraisal explores and proposes much-needed viable opportunities to enhance the current and long-term water supply of the Conservancy District. I introduced H.R. 1337 both at the behest of the Conservancy District and in the same spirit that Congress previously funded the building of Lake Thunderbird and the appraisal investigation: to facilitate the long-term vitality and well-being of the citizens served by the Conservancy District and, as an extension, the vitality and well-being of Oklahoma as a whole. It is important to note, Mr. Speaker, that the Conservancy District provides waters for more than 175,000 residents, meaning that no fewer than one out of every four of my constituents stands to benefit from this study.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely appreciate the chairman and ranking member's diligent work on this bill, and I strongly urge support and passage of

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1337) to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of H.R. 1337, introduced by our colleague, Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, is to direct the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct a feasibility study on alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the district.

The Norman Project was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation for municipal and industrial water supply, flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife purposes in central Oklahoma. Population growth in the area is increasing pressure on already constrained water supplies, and the demand for water is expected to surpass the supply that the Norman Project in its present form can provide.

A preliminary report on alternative measures to augment water supplies at Lake Thunderbird has already been completed. The report concluded that a need exists to improve municipal and industrial water supplies from the Norman Project and that a number of alternatives are available to meet that need. A feasibility study is required to fully evaluate all the alternatives. H.R. 1337 directs the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct such a study.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1337) to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The purpose of H.R. 1337, introduced by our colleague, Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, is to direct the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct a feasibility study on alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by that district.

This legislation was previously considered by the House, and we have no objection to this noncontroversial bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) for his support on this noncontroversial bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 1337.

H.R. 1337, authored by Congressman Tom Cole, authorizes a feasibility study to assist Norman, Oklahoma, and the surrounding area to meet long-term water supplies through the expansion of a Federal water project.

Like many areas throughout the West, these Oklahoma communities are faced with growing water supply challenges. This thoughtful bill provides limited Federal assistance to expand a Federal reservoir, but preserves local rights and jurisdiction.

Although some of us have concerns that there are people who play football in the Norman, Oklahoma, area and they have been overly aggressive as of late with some of our Texas teams, we are hopeful that by providing this help that it will cool down some of that overaggressiveness.

I would urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.