A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Army to contract with the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District Number One and the city of Weatherford, Texas, for the use of water supply storage in Benbrook Lake, and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-140 · H.R. 779 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1981 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Rep. James Wright (D-TX-12)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Charlie Stenholm
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to contract with the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District, the city of Granbury, and the city of Weatherford, Texas, for the use of water supply storage in Benbrook Reservoir, until such storage is needed for navigation purposes.
Amends the Flood Control Act of 1948 to increase the amount of funding which may be spent for small flood control projects without specific congressional authorization.
Amends the Water Resources Development Act of 1976 to increase the authorization of appropriations for the construction of a four-lane highway bridge between Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Washington.
Directs the Secretary to relocate the water supply intake facility on the Missouri River at Springfield, South Dakota.
Authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with specified entities concerning the water from the San Juan-Choma project, New Mexico, in the Abiquiu and Elephant Butte Reservoirs.
Declares that no houseboat, floating cabin, marina, or lawfully installed dock or cabin shall be required to be removed before December 31, 1989, from any Federal water resources reservoir or lake project administered by the Secretary except under specified conditions.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water Resources and Environment 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. 16 actions.
- Dec 29, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-140.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 22, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 2, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 1, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- May 19, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- May 12, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- May 6, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- May 5, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Jan 19, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Jan 6, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.