Nevada flood projects near approval in Congress

The energy and water spending bill sent to the Senate floor late Thursday restores much of a $800 million spending cut President Clinton had proposed nationally for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"Our committee was able to restore more than $550 million of those funds," said Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, ranking Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water.

"From our flood control work on our washes in the south, to the critical work being conducted on our rivers in the north, Nevada relies heavily on the Army Corps," he said in a statement Friday.

Reid said the full Senate was expected to approve the bill next week and he was optimistic most of the money would hold up in the House as well.

Key Nevada projects in the bill include $23 million for work in the Tropicana and Flamingo Washes, more than $3.25 million for desalination work on the Las Vegas aquifer and $1 million for a flood control study at Battle Mountain.

Also, $1.2 million for projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin, $1.7 million for a comprehensive study of Truckee Meadows, $1.2 million to protect the Las Vegas Wash, $300,000 to complete an early flood warning system for Reno and Sparks and $250,000 for a study of the Helms Pit at Sparks.

Big ticket items at the Nevada Test Site include $60 million for continued subcritical testing and $10 million for the construction of the Dual Stage Gas Gun facility. Another $5 million is targeted for research projects at Nevada universities.

Reid said the testing would allow the Energy Department to increase the rate of experiments six-fold, conducting up to 25 experiments a year in support of certifying nuclear stockpiles.

"With the recent tests in India and Pakistan, America's strategic security depends on our ability to support our stockpile stewardship efforts," Reid said.

"The subcritical test currently conducted at the Test Site ensure the safety and reliability of our own weapons without setting off any underground explosions," he said.

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