Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act (H.R. 723; 113th Congress)

by James Langevin

113th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 723

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 14, 2013

Mr. Langevin (for himself, Mr. Courtney, and Mr. Cicilline ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers in the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Protection Act”.

Sec. 2. Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers Study

(a) Designation for study–

Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(__) Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut–

The approximately 10-mile segment of the Beaver River from its headwaters in Exeter, Rhode Island, to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 5-mile segment of the Chipuxet River from Hundred Acre Pond to its outlet into Worden Pond; the approximately 10-mile segment of the upper Queen River from its headwaters to the Usquepaugh Dam in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the approximately 5-mile segment of the lower Queen (Usquepaugh) River from the Usquepaugh Dam to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 11-mile segment of the upper Wood River from its headwaters to Skunk Hill Road in Richmond and Hopkinton, Rhode Island, and including all its tributaries; the approximately 10-mile segment of the lower Wood River from Skunk Hill Road to its confluence with the Pawcatuck River; the approximately 28-mile segment of the Pawcatuck River from Worden Pond to Nooseneck Hill Road (RI Rte 3) in Hopkinton and Westerly, Rhode Island; and the approximately 7-mile segment of the lower Pawcatuck River from Nooseneck Hill Road to Pawcatuck Rock, Stonington, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island..

(b) Study and report–

Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(__) Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut–

Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall—

(A) complete the study of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Queen, Wood, and Pawcatuck Rivers, Rhode Island and Connecticut, described in subsection (a)(__); and

(B) submit a report describing the results of that study to the appropriate committees of Congress ..