S. 1694 would expand the purposes of federal water projects in the Yakima River Basin in the State of Washington to increase the amount of water available for communities and irrigation systems during drought years, and to restore fish populations, wetlands and ecosystems in the basin. The bill also would direct the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to develop construction plans for future projects to secure future water supplies in the region. Based on information from the BOR, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $59 million over the 2017-2021 period and about $240 million after 2021, assuming appropriation of the authorized and necessary amounts.
Enacting S. 1694 could affect direct spending if non-federal partners contribute funds for the BOR to construct certain local projects; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do apply. However, the net effect of collecting and spending those contributions would be negligible. Enacting S. 1694 would not affect revenues. CBO estimates that enacting the bill would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
S. 1694 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would benefit the state and local governments in Washington, as well as tribes of the Yakama Nation, by authorizing funding and technical assistance for water infrastructure and conservation projects. Any costs incurred by those entities, including matching contributions, would be incurred voluntarily.
