FINDINGS.

SEC. 802. FINDINGS. The Congress finds that— (1) in 1980 and 1981, the Bureau of Reclamation constructed the bascule gates on top of the Dickinson Dam on the Heart River, North Dakota, to provide additional water supply in the reservoir known as Patterson Lake for the city of Dickinson, North Dakota, and for additional flood control and other benefits; (2) the gates had to be significantly modified in 1982 because of damage resulting from a large ice block causing excessive pressure on the hydraulic system, causing the system to fail; (3) since 1991, the City has received its water supply from the Southwest Water Authority, which provides much higher quality water from the Southwest Pipeline Project; (4) the City now receives almost no benefit from the bascule gates because the City does not require the additional water provided by the bascule gates for its municipal water supply; (5) the City has repaid more than $1,200,000 to the United States for the construction of the bascule gates, and has been working for several years to reach an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to alter its repayment contract; (6) the City has a longstanding commitment to improving the water quality and recreation value of the reservoir and 114 STAT. 2829has been working with the United States Geological Survey, the North Dakota Department of Game and Fish, and the North Dakota Department of Health to improve water quality; and (7) it is in the public interest to resolve this issue by providing for a single payment to the United States in lieu of the scheduled annual payments and for the termination of any further repayment obligation.