Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act defines Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. as the nonfederal project entity and ties the study to Bureau of Reclamation feasibility standards in 43 C.F.R. part 404. The bill allows the Secretary of the Interior, through a cooperative agreement and in consultation with Dakota Mainstem, to study whether to construct a project supplying municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem service area across South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. The study must comply with reclamation feasibility standards. The federal share may not exceed 50 percent of study costs. Congress authorizes $10 million for the Secretary to carry out the study, and the authority expires 10 years after enactment.
Who Benefits and How
Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System benefits because it can become the nonfederal partner for a federally supported feasibility study. Rural communities, municipal water users, and industrial water users in the service area benefit if the study advances a reliable regional water supply option. South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota water planners benefit from a formal reclamation-feasibility process. Construction and engineering firms may benefit later if the study leads to project development.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Interior Department and Bureau of Reclamation must negotiate the cooperative agreement, oversee the study, apply feasibility standards, and manage the $10 million authorization. Dakota Mainstem must participate as the nonfederal entity and provide or secure at least half of study costs because the federal share is capped at 50 percent. Federal taxpayers fund the federal share. The authority expires after 10 years, creating a deadline for study work and decisions.
Key Provisions
- Defines Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. as the nonfederal project entity.
- Authorizes an Interior-led feasibility study for municipal, rural, and industrial water supply across four States.
- Requires compliance with reclamation feasibility standards.
- Caps the federal share at 50 percent, authorizes $10 million, and sunsets authority after 10 years.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Authorizes the Interior Secretary to enter a cooperative agreement with Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. for a reclamation-feasibility study of a municipal, rural, and industrial water supply project serving parts of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, with a 50 percent federal cost-share cap, $10 million authorization, and 10-year expiration.
Key Policy Areas
Water Infrastructure, Rural Development, Interior
Primary Purpose
Authorizes the Interior Secretary to enter a cooperative agreement with Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc. for a reclamation-feasibility study of a municipal, rural, and industrial water supply project serving parts of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, with a 50 percent federal cost-share cap, $10 million authorization, and 10-year expiration.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System
- Rural communities
- Municipal water users
- Industrial water users
- Water planners
Identified Costs
- Interior Department
- Bureau of Reclamation
- Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System
- Federal taxpayers
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeSubcommittee Hearings Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Mr. Johnson of South Dakota introduced the following bill; which …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Municipal water users
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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.
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