Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5911) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to the City of Ouray, Colorado, certain land managed by the Forest Service, together with a reservoir, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material to H.R. 5911, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5911, the Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act, which is sponsored by my colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Hurd. This is a commonsense bill that conveys the Crystal Reservoir, Full Moon Dam and Ditch, and surrounding 45 acres of land from the U.S. Forest Service to the city of Ouray, Colorado.

This legislation reflects a simple but important idea: When a local community depends on reliable access to a resource, they should be empowered to take responsibility for it. This is especially true when the Federal Government is no longer in a position to manage that resource effectively.

The city of Ouray is also known as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado. It is surrounded by Federal land and deeply tied to the Crystal Reservoir. That reservoir is not just a scenic feature. It plays a critical role in wildfire response, supports local agriculture, sustains recreation, and helps to provide water for the community and the city's well-known hot springs.

Today, the reservoir is drained. The aging Full Moon Dam was found to have structural issues. Instead of being quickly repaired to restore access to the reservoir, the dam has been taken offline. This has left Ouray without a critical asset.

H.R. 5911 offers a straightforward solution to make the reservoir operational again by conveying the water infrastructure, water rights, and surrounding land to the city. In doing so, this legislation allows the city to step in, repair the Full Moon Dam, and manage the reservoir in a way that reflects local needs and priorities.

At the same time, this bill includes strong guardrails to ensure the public interest is protected. The land must remain as open space for public recreation with continued access to existing roads and trails. The city must assume full responsibility for operating and maintaining the dam and ensuring compliance with safety requirements. There are clear limitations on development and expansion, including provisions to conserve upstream wetlands.

This transfer of responsibility represents good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Instead of the Federal Government taking on potentially costly repairs to aging infrastructure, this bill allows a willing and capable partner to assume that burden, ensuring that the people who depend on the infrastructure have a direct stake in its future.

More broadly, this legislation reflects the kind of partnerships we should be encouraging across the country. Communities like Ouray are not asking for less access or less responsibility. They are asking for the ability to manage resources that are essential to their livelihoods, their safety, and their local economies. When we empower these communities, we get faster action and solutions that are tailored to realities on the ground.

H.R. 5911 employs common sense to restore a critical resource, strengthen local water security, support wildfire preparedness, and maintain public access for recreation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this fiscally responsible legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hurd), the lead sponsor of this bill and the chairman on the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs.

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

Mr. Speaker, at its core, this bill is about restoring a public recreation site that is vital to a nearby community. We have an opportunity to turn a stalled Federal asset into a functioning local resource, to replace uncertainty with action, and to show that when communities are ready to step up, Congress is willing to meet them there. That is a result that is worth supporting.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5911, the Crystal Reservoir Conveyance Act.

I will begin by thanking committee staff, whose hard work helped move this legislation across the finish line.

At its core, this bill reflects a simple principle: Where there is strong local support, a clear public purpose, and appropriate safeguards, decisions should be made by the people closest to the resource.

That principle is, in fact, at the heart of this legislation.

H.R. 5911 would convey the Crystal Reservoir, Full Moon Dam and Ditch, and the surrounding land necessary for their operations to the city of Ouray, along with the associated water rights and infrastructure.

This request came from the city of Ouray itself. It is not a top-down proposal. It is a locally driven solution to a local problem.

For generations, Crystal Reservoir has served the community in multiple ways. It provides water for municipal use and agriculture. It supports recreation. It supports the city's hot springs, and it serves as an important resource for wildfire suppression in a region where that responsibility becomes more and more important each year.

In 2024, structural concerns at Full Moon Dam forced the United States Forest Service to drain the reservoir. Almost overnight, the community lost a resource it had relied upon for generations.

Today, the question before us is straightforward: Who is best positioned to restore, maintain, and manage this resource going forward?

The city of Ouray has answered that question. The city is prepared to assume full responsibility for repair, operation, maintenance, and liability.

The city is prepared to do the work. The city is prepared to bear the responsibility, and the city is prepared to make the long-term investments necessary to restore this important asset.

At the same time, this legislation protects the public interest. It preserves public access. It protects recreational opportunities. It prohibits commercial development. It includes a reversionary provision to ensure that the land continues to be used for its intended purpose, the land remains protected, and the public remains welcome.

The difference is that management moves closer to the people who depend on this resource every day.

This legislation is also good government. At a time when Federal land management agencies face substantial deferred maintenance backlogs, this bill relieves the Federal Government of future operational and maintenance obligations, while placing the resource in the hands of a willing and capable local partner.

In the West, we often say that water is life. This bill recognizes that reality. It respects local stewardship. It respects taxpayers, and it recognizes that communities willing to assume responsibility should be empowered to do so.

This is a story about local responsibility. The community is stepping forward to preserve an important resource, maintain public access, and ensure that future generations can continue to benefit from it.

Congress should support that effort. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5911.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5911 would authorize the conveyance of the Crystal Reservoir in Colorado and its surrounding infrastructure from the U.S. Forest Service to the city of Ouray, Colorado.

In early 2024, the Forest Service was forced to drain this reservoir because the Full Moon Dam had become structurally compromised. For the city of Ouray, this was a crisis. The community relies heavily on this reservoir to maintain its municipal water supply, support vital wildfire preparedness, and sustain the outdoor recreational economy in the Red Mountains.

The bill before us provides a straightforward solution: transfer of the 45-acre area to the city so that Ouray can repair the dam, refill the reservoir, and secure the water rights necessary to protect its residents.

But just as importantly, this legislation demonstrates exactly the right way to execute a public land conveyance.

This transfer is transparent. It is strictly accountable, and it guarantees that the land will perpetually benefit the public. The bill explicitly mandates that the area be maintained as open space in perpetuity. It guarantees permanent free public access for recreation. It strictly prohibits commercial development, allowing only for necessary dam operations that comply with Colorado water law.

To ensure total accountability, the bill includes a strict reversionary clause that if any of these conditions are violated, the transfer is canceled.

Because this bill was crafted in the right way, it has earned broad and enthusiastic local support. It is backed by the city of Ouray, the towns of Ridgway and Silverton, Ouray and San Juan Counties, and the Ouray County Sheriff.

It has also earned the endorsement of vital community groups, including the Colorado River District, the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, the Trust For Public Land restoration, and the Ouray Trail Group.

Furthermore, this responsible, public-first approach has garnered strong bipartisan support in the Senate, proving that when we prioritize transparency and perpetual public benefit, we can build robust consensus.

H.R. 5911 is a model for how to empower local communities, while protecting public access and conservation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.