FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.

SEC. 2301. FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.The Congress finds that and declares the following: (1) Platoro Dam and Reservoir of the Platoro Unit of the Conejos Division of the San Luis Valley Project was built in 1951 and for all practical purposes has not been usable because of the constraints imposed by the Rio Grande Compact of 1939 on the use of the Rio Grande River among the States of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. (2) The usefulness of Platoro Reservoir under future com-pact compliance depends upon the careful conservation and wise management of water and requires the operation of the reservoir project in conjunction with privately owned water rights of the local water users. (3) It is in the best interest of the people of the United States to— (A) transfer operation, maintenance, and replacement responsibility for the Platoro Dam and Reservoir to the Conejos Water Conservancy District of the State of Colorado, which is the local water user district with repayment responsibility to the United States, and the local representative of the water users with privately owned water rights; (B) relieve the people of the United States from further risk or obligation in connection with the collection of construction charge repayments and annual operation and maintenance payments for the Platoro Dam and Reservoir by providing for payment of a one-time fee to the United States in lieu of the scheduled annual payments and termination of any further repayment obligation to the United States and the District (Contract Number Ilr-1529, as amended); and 106 STAT. 4685 (C) determine such one-time fee, taking into account the assumption by the District of all of the operations and maintenance costs associated with the reservoir, including the existing Federal obligation for the operation and maintenance of the reservoir for flood control purposes, and maintaining a minimum stream flow as provided in section 2302(d) of this title.