43 USC 2211 – Assistance during drought; water purchases
(a) Construction, management, and conservation
Consistent with existing contractual arrangements and applicable State and applicable Federal law, and without further authorization, the Secretary is authorized to undertake construction, management, and conservation activities that will minimize, or can be expected to have an effect in minimizing, losses and damages resulting from drought conditions. Any construction activities undertaken pursuant to the authority of this subsection shall be limited to temporary facilities designed to minimize losses and damages from drought conditions, except that wells drilled to minimize losses and damages from drought conditions may be permanent facilities.
(b) Assistance to willing buyers and sellers
Terms Used In 43 USC 2211
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Federal Reclamation project: means any project constructed or funded under Federal Reclamation law. See 43 USC 2201
- Secretary: means the Secretary of the Interior. See 43 USC 2201
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
In order to minimize losses and damages resulting from drought conditions, the Secretary may provide nonfinancial assistance to willing buyers in their purchase of available water supplies from willing sellers.
(c) Water purchases by Bureau
In order to minimize losses and damages resulting from drought conditions, the Secretary may purchase water from willing sellers, including, but not limited to, water made available by Federal Reclamation project contractors through conservation or other means with respect to which the seller has reduced the consumption of water. Except with respect to water stored, conveyed or delivered to Federal and State wildlife habitat, the Secretary shall deliver such water pursuant to temporary contracts under section 2212 of this title: Provided, That any such contract shall require recovery of any costs, including interest if applicable, incurred by the Secretary in acquiring such water.
(d) Water banks
In order to respond to a drought, the Secretary is authorized to participate in water banks established by a State.