To clarify jurisdiction with respect to certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill reserves and permanently withdraws federal land in Arizona along the Salt River for the Salt River Project to develop pumped storage hydroelectric power facilities. It clarifies that the Salt River Project has exclusive rights to use this National Forest land for generating and transmitting electricity under a longstanding 1917 agreement between the federal government and local water users.
Who Benefits and How
The Salt River Project (a public power utility serving the Phoenix metropolitan area) gains exclusive rights to use approximately 18 miles of federally-reserved land for new pumped storage power generation. This is a significant benefit as it removes uncertainty about land access for energy development. The bill also shields them from liability by exempting the land withdrawal from NEPA "major Federal action" requirements, streamlining their path to construction. Arizona electricity consumers may ultimately benefit from expanded power generation capacity.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Mining companies, geothermal energy developers, and mineral interests are permanently excluded from accessing this land for extraction or leasing activities. The general public loses the ability to enter or appropriate this land under public land laws. The Bureau of Reclamation takes on additional compliance burden for design review, construction inspection, and environmental oversight of any facilities. The U.S. Forest Service must prepare boundary maps and coordinate management.
Key Provisions
- Reserves covered National Forest land for exclusive use by the Salt River Project for electrical power development
- Permanently withdraws the land from all public entry, mining claims, and mineral/geothermal leasing
- Requires SRP-constructed facilities to conform to Bureau of Reclamation standards with federal inspection and approval
- Exempts the land withdrawal itself from NEPA "major Federal action" requirements
- Shields the U.S. from liability if Congress fails to appropriate adequate funds for implementing the agreement
- Transfers title of completed facilities to the United States as part of the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Reserves and withdraws National Forest System land in Arizona for the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project to develop, generate, and transmit electrical power through pumped storage facilities.
Who Benefits
- Salt River Project (SRP) - receives exclusive right to use reserved land for power development
- Salt River Valley Water Users' Association - enabled to construct pumped storage facilities
- Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District - partner in power development
Who Bears Costs
- Bureau of Reclamation - must provide design review, construction inspection, and environmental compliance
- Forest Service - loses management control over withdrawn land
- Mining companies - permanently excluded from covered land under mining laws
Key Policy Areas
Energy, Public Lands, Water Resources, Federal Land Management
Primary Purpose
Reserves and withdraws National Forest System land in Arizona for the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project to develop, generate, and transmit electrical power through pumped storage facilities.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Clarify federal land jurisdiction to enable hydroelectric pumped storage development by an existing water users' association with longstanding federal agreements."
Identified Gains
- Salt River Project (SRP) - receives exclusive right to use reserved land for power development
- Salt River Valley Water Users' Association - enabled to construct pumped storage facilities
- Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District - partner in power development
- Arizona electricity consumers - potential beneficiaries of expanded power generation capacity
- Hydroelectric power industry - establishes precedent for pumped storage on federal lands
Identified Costs
- Bureau of Reclamation - must provide design review, construction inspection, and environmental compliance
- Forest Service - loses management control over withdrawn land
- Mining companies - permanently excluded from covered land under mining laws
- Geothermal energy developers - excluded from covered land under geothermal leasing laws
- General public - land withdrawn from public entry and appropriation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReceived; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy …
Additional sponsors: Mrs. Lesko, Mr. Gallego, and Mr. Ciscomani
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the …
Mr. Schweikert (for himself and Mr. Stanton) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Geothermal energy developers seeking access to covered land, Salt River Project (SRP) - Agricultural Improvement and Power District
Positive-direction: Salt River Project (SRP) - Agricultural Improvement and Power District
Negative-direction: Geothermal energy developers seeking access to covered land
Salt River Valley Water Users Association
General public seeking land entry or appropriation
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "srp"
- → Salt River Project (District + Association - responsible for construction, operation, maintenance)
- "bureau_of_reclamation"
- → Bureau of Reclamation (lead agency for environmental compliance)
- "the_secretary_of_interior"
- → Secretary of the Interior (Bureau of Reclamation oversight, construction approval, title acceptance)
- "the_secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture (map preparation for covered land)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The agreement between the United States and the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association dated September 6, 1917, as amended.
The Salt River Valley Water Users' Association.
Portion of National Forest System land on south side of Salt River from 1903 1-mile withdrawal area extending 2 miles from Salt River at Roosevelt Dam to 18.25 river miles downstream in Arizona, excluding Superstition Mountain Wilderness Area and Tonto National Monument.
The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District.
The map prepared under subsection (e)(1) by the Secretary of Agriculture depicting the boundary of the covered land.
Salt River Project - includes both the District and the Association.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology