The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, led by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 317 (Salazar): To authorize the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes (Arkansas Valley Conduit Act)

• H.R. 4841 (Bono Mack): To approve, ratify, and confirm the settlement agreement entered into to resolve claims by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians relating to alleged interferences with the water resources of the Tribe, to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior to execute and perform the Settlement Agreement and related waivers, and for other purposes (Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Settlement Act)

• H.R. 5293 (Heller): To approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation in Nevada, to require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the settlement, and for other purposes (Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act)

Subject:
House Subcommittee on Water and Power
Legislative Hearing on H.R. 317, H.R. 4841 and H.R. 5293

When:
Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.

Where:
Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building

Witnesses:
Panel 1: H.R. 5293 and H.R. 4841
Majel Russell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
Kyle R. Prior, Chairman, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, Owyhee, NV
Allen Biaggi, Director, Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Carson City, NV
Jay Chamberlin, Project Manager, Owyhee Irrigation District, Nyssa, OR
Robert Salgado, Sr., Chairman, Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, San Jacinto, CA
Randy A. Record, Director, Eastern Municipal Water District, Perris, CA

Panel 2: H.R. 317
Bill Long, President, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo, CO
Jim Broderick, Executive Director, Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo, CO
Norman Noe, Manager, South Swink Water Company, La Junta, CO

* Karl Wirkus, Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, D.C., will be present to answer questions regarding H.R. 317.

* Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Washington D.C., will provide written testimony for the record regarding H.R. 317.