Urban Canal Modernization Act
The Urban Canal Modernization Act would amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to give authority for extraordinary operation and maintenance (O&M) work on certain urban canals. Specifically, it creates a new category—“urban canals of concern”—and allows the Secretary of the Interior (or the entity operating the transferred works) to carry out extra maintenance work on these canals when necessary, guided by criteria developed in section 9602(a). The bill also sets a cost-sharing structure: 35% of the total extraordinary O&M costs would be provided by the Secretary on a nonreimbursable basis, while the remaining costs would be advanced by the Secretary and repaid by the transferred works operating entity over time. Any reimbursable funds used under this authority would count as a non-Federal source for other federal cost-sharing requirements. In short, the bill aims to modernize and safeguard urban canal segments that pose potential risk to people by enabling targeted, federally supported maintenance, with a defined framework for who pays and how repayment works.
Key Points
- 1Definition created: “Urban canal of concern” is a canal reach within transferred works where failure could affect more than 100 people (as determined by the Secretary under prescribed guidelines) and is classified as an urban canal reach.
- 2Authorized work: The Secretary or the transferred works operating entity may perform extraordinary O&M on an urban canal of concern when deemed necessary under the established guidelines.
- 3Cost-sharing for non-emergency work: Of the total costs for extraordinary O&M on an urban canal of concern, 35% would be provided by the Secretary on a nonreimbursable basis; the remaining costs would be advanced by the Secretary and repaid by the transferred works operating entity.
- 4Reimbursable funds: Funds that are reimbursable under this authority count as a non-Federal source for purposes of any other Federal cost-sharing requirements.
- 5Context and framework: The bill relies on guidelines and criteria in section 9602(a) of the 2009 act to identify urban canals of concern and to guide the O&M actions.