Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 4.djvu/645

 PUBLIC LAW 106-541—DEC. 11, 2000 114 STAT. 2707 TITLE IX—MISSOURI RIVER RESTORATION, SOUTH DAKOTA SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the "Missouri River Restoration Act of 2000". SEC. 902. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress finds that— (1) the Missouri River is— (A) an invaluable economic, environmental, recreational, and cultural resource to the people of the United States; and (B) a critical source of water for drinking and irrigation; (2) millions of people fish, hunt, and camp along the Missouri River each year; (3) thousands of sites of spiritual importance to Native Americans line the shores of the Missouri River; (4) the Missouri River provides critical wildlife habitat for threatened and endangered species; (5) in 1944, Congress approved the Pick-Sloan program— (A) to promote the general economic development of the United States; (B) to provide for irrigation above Sioux City, Iowa; (C) to protect urban and rural areas from devastating ^ floods of the Missouri River; and (D) for other purposes; (6) the Oahe, Big Bend, Fort Randall, and Gavins Point Dams were constructed on the Missouri River in South Dakota under the Pick-Sloan program; (7) the dams referred to in paragraph (6)— (A) generate low-cost electricity for millions of people in the United States; (B) provide revenue to the Treasury; and (C) provide flood control that has prevented billions of dollars of damage; (8) the Oahe, Big Bend, Fort Randall, and Gavins Point Dams have reduced the ability of the Missouri River to carry sediment downstream, resulting in the accumulation of sediment in the reservoirs known as Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, and Lewis and Clark Lake; (9) the sediment depositions— (A) cause shoreline flooding; (B) destroy wildlife habitat; (C) limit recreational opportunities; (D) threaten the long-term ability of dams to provide hydropower and flood control under the Pick-Sloan program; (E) reduce water quality; and (F) threaten intakes for drinking water and irrigation; and (10) to meet the objectives established by Congress for the Pick-Sloan program, it is necessary to establish a Missouri River Restoration Program— (A) to improve conservation; Missoiiri River Restoration Act of 2000. Conservation.

�