H.R. 972: Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

This bill expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area and other land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities.

Specifically, the bill requires the BLM to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities. 

Rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources. 
 
In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials. 

The bill also adds approximately 9,290 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.