A bill to deauthorize several projects within the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Public Law 97-128 · S. 1493 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1981 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. James Abdnor (R-SD)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. Daniel Moynihan, Sen. Dan Quayle
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Amends the Flood Control Act of 1965 to deauthorize that component of the Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project, Saint John River, Maine, known as the Dickey Dam and its associated transmission facilities.
Prohibits Federal agencies from considering license applications relating to hydropower projects above the Lincoln School Dam on the Saint John River and its tributaries for two years after enactment of this Act.
Terminates authorizations for the Meramec Park Lake project, Missouri.
Directs the Secretary of the Army to turn over to the State of Missouri all right, title, and interest in specified acreage as determined by the Governor of Missouri.
States that specified easements shall be granted in regard to certain projects.
Authorizes the Secretary to comply with or cancel executory contracts that the United States has entered into for the purchase of lands for such project.
Declares that funds previously authorized for the Meramec Park Lake project may be used by the Secretary to deauthorize such project.
Directs the Secretary to undertake certain measures to prevent flood damage to communities along the Meramec River in St. Louis and Jefferson Counties, Missouri. Prohibits the construction of dams or reservoirs.
Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Governor, to conduct a cooperative water supply study of the Meramec River Basin, Missouri. Requires that such study be submitted to Congress by January 1, 1983.
Terminates authorizations for the following projects: (1) Helm Reservoir, Illinois; (2) Lincoln Dam and Reservoir, Illinois and Indiana; (3) Big Blue Dam, Indiana; (4) Illinois Waterway, Illinois and Indiana; (5) Nansemond River, Virginia; (6) Clifty Creek Dam, Indiana; (7) Delaware Bay, Delaware, to Cape Charles, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Intracoastal Waterway; and (8) Sixes Bridge Dam and Lake, Maryland.
Grants the consent of Congress to the city of Boston to construct, maintain, and operate a fixed-span bridge in and over Fort Point Channel, Boston, Massachusetts.
Requires approval for the location and plans of such bridge from the Secretary of Transportation.
Modifies the flood control project for the Sandridge Dam and Reservoir, Ellicott Creek, New York.
Declares that the lock replacing the Vermilion Lock on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Louisiana, shall be named the Leland Bowman Lock.
Changes the name of the Clarence Cannon Dam and Reservoir on the Salt River, Missouri, to the Clarence Cannon Dam and Mark Twain Lake.
Grants the consent of Congress to the city of Tampa, Florida, to construct and maintain two fixed-span bridges in and over Garrison Channel, Tampa, Florida. Modifies the project authorized for the Seddon Channel.
Prohibits the removal before December 31, 1989, of houseboats, floating cabins, marinas, docks, cabins, or other permanent structures from any Federal water resources reservoir or lake project administered by the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Environment and Public Works Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Environmental Protection Subcommittee
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. 13 actions.
- Dec 29, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-128.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 22, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments by Voice vote.
- Nov 23, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 18, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Nov 12, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Oct 20, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jul 24, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Environmental Protection Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jul 16, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Environmental Protection Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works 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.