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Orland Project Water Management Act
To amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to facilitate the transfer of water from the Orland Project to the Central Valley Project.
Summary
- Allows the Secretary of Interior to transfer water from the Orland Project to the Sacramento Canal Unit of the Central Valley Project upon request of the Orland Unit Water Users Association.
- Permits water transfers to occur at any time regardless of water year type, if the Secretary determines the transfer is consistent with Central Valley Project purposes.
- Specifies that the water transfer provision is not considered a new or supplemental benefit under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982.
- Protects existing and vested water rights and does not affect pending water rights applications.
- Prevents the water transfer from resulting in redirected impacts to the Orland Project from temporary water supply contracts.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1] (R-CA)
Actions (5)
- Jul 16, 2026 ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Gallagher asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 4970, a bill originally introduced by Representative LaMalfa, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection. · house
- Sep 3, 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held · house
- Aug 29, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. · house
- Aug 15, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources. · house
- Aug 15, 2025 Introduced in House
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 15, 2025
Mr. LaMalfa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to facilitate the transfer of water from the Orland Project to the Central Valley Project.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Orland Project Water Management Act”.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO RECLAMATION STATES EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF ACT OF 1991.
Section 104 of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2214) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections
(c) and (d) respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
“(b) Exception.—The Secretary may make available, upon the request of the Orland Unit Water Users Association and through the programs and authorities established under this title, water from the Orland Project to the Sacramento Canal Unit of the Central Valley Project at any time, without regard to water year type, if the Secretary determines that such action is consistent with the purposes of the Central Valley Project.”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(e) Rules of Construction.—Nothing in this section may be construed to—
“(1) be a new or supplemental benefit for the purposes of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (43 U.S.C. 390aa et seq.);
“(2) affect any valid or vested water right in existence as of the date of the enactment of this subsection;
“(3) affect any application for water rights pending before the date of the enactment of this subsection; or
“(4) result in any redirected impacts to the Orland Project from a temporary contract for the supply of water executed under this section.”. <all>
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