An Act to authorize various Federal reclamation projects and programs, and for other purposes.
Public Law 94-423 · S. 3283 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Sep 28, 1976 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. Scoop Jackson (D-WA)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Warren Magnuson
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Reclamation Authorizations Act - =Title I: Kanopolis Unit, Kansas= - Reauthorizes the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Kanopolis Unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin program, to be prosecuted by the Secretary of the Interior in cooperation with the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to enter into land management agreements with the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission upon the expiration of existing leases for agricultural use of publicly owned lands. Stipulates that no water from the Unit shall be used for irrigation of excessive crop allotments for a ten-year period after the enactment of this title.
Authorizes the appropriation of $30,900,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter, for the construction of the Kanopolis Unit.
=Title II: Oroville-Tonasket Unit, Washington= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the Oroville-Tonasket Unit of the Chief Joseph Dam project in Washington. Authorizes the Secretary to renegotiate contract arrangements between the United States and the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District with respect to assignment of irrigation costs. Stipulates that no water from the Unit shall be used for irrigation of excessive crop allotments for a ten-year period after the enactment of this title.
Authorizes the appropriation of $39,370,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter, for the construction of the Oroville-Tonasket Unit.
=Title III: Uintah Unit, Utah= - Authorizes the appropriation of $90,247,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter for the construction of the Uintah Unit of the Central Utah Project.
=Title IV: American Canal Extension, El Paso, Texas= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain a 13-mile extension of the American Canal in El Paso, Texas. Requires that the Secretary enter into a repayment contract with local irrigation district authorities prior to project construction.
Authorizes the appropriation of $21,714,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter for the construction of the American Canal extension.
=Title V: Allen Camp Unit, California= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the Allen Camp Unit of the Central Valley project in California. Authorizes the Secretary to replace roads and bridges rendered unusable by construction and operation of the Unit.
Stipulates that no water from the Unit shall be used for irrigation of excessive crop allotments for a ten-year period after the enactment of this title.
Authorizes the appropriation of $64,220,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter for the construction of the Allen Camp Unit.
=Title VI: Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, Colorado= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to rehabilitate the Leadville Mine drainage tunnel in Colorado. Authorizes the appropriation of $2,750,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter for rehabilitation of the tunnel.
=Title VII: M'Gee Creek Project, Oklahoma= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain the M'Gee Creek project in Oklahoma, in accordance with Federal Reclamation laws. Establishes procedures for reimbursement of project costs.
Authorizes the appropriation of $83,239,000 for fiscal year 1978 and thereafter for the construction of the M'Gee Creek project.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.
- Sep 28, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-423.
- Sep 16, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Sep 15, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 13, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Aug 26, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 14578.
- Aug 6, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Aug 5, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 9, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.