Not later than 90 days after December 23, 2022, the Secretary shall establish a Western Water Cooperative Committee (referred to in this section as the “Cooperative Committee”).
The purpose of the Cooperative Committee is to ensure that Corps of Engineers flood control projects in Western States are operated consistent with congressional directives by identifying opportunities to avoid or minimize conflicts between the operation of Corps of Engineers projects and water rights and water laws in such States.
The Cooperative Committee shall meet not less than once each year in one of the Western States.
The Cooperative Committee shall develop and make recommendations to avoid or minimize conflicts between the operation of Corps of Engineers projects and the water rights and water laws of Western States.
The Cooperative Committee shall maintain records pertaining to operating costs and records of the Cooperative Committee for a period of not less than 3 years.
Nothing in this section provides authority to the Cooperative Committee to affect any Federal or State water law or interstate compact governing water.
Nothing in this section may be interpreted, by negative implication or otherwise, as suggesting that States not represented on the Cooperative Committee have lesser interest or authority, in relation to Western States, in managing the water within their borders or in vindicating State water rights and water laws.
In this section, the term “Western States” means the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.