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Reid's bill designed to make aging Western canals safer
April 13, 2008
RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has introduced a bill
designed to make aging federal-owned canals and levees safer across the
West.
The measure was introduced Thursday, about three months after the
failure of an earthen embankment on a century-old irrigation canal
flooded the growing town of
The Jan. 5 breach of the
The bill would provide $11 million over the next five years for required
inspections of federal water infrastructure such as the
It also directs the Department of Interior to perform maintenance and
repairs to ensure the safety of nearby homes and businesses.
"I will work diligently to pass this bill to protect Nevadans
living near canals and levees," Reid said.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation owns 7,911 miles of canals in 17 Western
states, the vast majority of them managed and operated by local
irrigation and water districts.
Among the bureau's holdings is the 32-mile-long
Engineers who investigated the Fernley flood concluded the main reason
of the failure was the embankment had been riddled with rodent burrows,
some up to 25 feet deep.
They also found a lack of maintenance allowed the growth of numerous
large trees whose root systems can weaken an embankment.
The legislation is being co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. Jeff Bingaman
of
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