Official Summaries

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

This bill expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area and other land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities.

Specifically, the bill requires the BLM to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities. 

Rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources. 
 
In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials. 

The bill also adds approximately 9,290 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.

Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act

This act expands the boundaries of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area in Clark County, Nevada, and grants rights-of-way through the conservation area and other land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for the construction of a water transmission pipeline and related facilities.

Specifically, the act requires the BLM to grant certain rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the purposes of (1) performing geotechnical investigations within the rights-of-way, and (2) constructing and operating a water pipeline and related facilities. 

The rights-of-way may not be located through or under areas designated as wilderness, and construction of the pipeline may not permanently adversely affect surface resources within the conservation area. The BLM may place other reasonable terms and conditions on the issuance of rights-of-way as necessary to protect the conservation area’s resources.

In tunneling the water pipeline, SNWA may excavate and dispose of sand, gravel, minerals, and other materials as needed. The BLM must enter into a memorandum of understanding with SNWA to identify federal land on which SNWA may dispose of such materials. 

The act also adds approximately 9,290 acres of land to the conservation area. This expansion of the conservation area is subject to valid existing rights (e.g., utility transmission rights), must not preclude authorized activities within existing rights-of-way or corridors, and must not preclude the BLM from authorizing new utility rights-of-way.

Current Full Text

[119th Congress Public Law 91]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 821]]

           SLOAN CANYON CONSERVATION AND LATERAL PIPELINE ACT

[[Page 140 STAT. 822]]

Public Law 119-91
119th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To amend the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act to adjust the 
 boundary of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, and for other 
             purposes. <<NOTE: May 19, 2026 -  [H.R. 972]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Sloan Canyon 
Conservation and Lateral Pipeline Act. 16 USC 460qqq-1 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral 
Pipeline Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Conservation area.--The term ``Conservation Area'' means 
        the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
        Land Management.
SEC. 3. SLOAN CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY 
                    ADJUSTMENT.

    (a) Boundary Adjustment.--
            (1) Map.--Section 603(4) of the Sloan Canyon National 
        Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq-1(4)) is amended by 
        striking ``map entitled `Southern Nevada Public Land Management 
        Act' and dated October 1, 2002'' and inserting ``map entitled 
        `Proposed Sloan Canyon Expansion' and dated May 20, 2024''.
            (2) Acreage.--Section 604(b) of the Sloan Canyon National 
        Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq-2(b)) is amended by 
        striking ``48,438'' and inserting ``57,728''.

    (b) Right-of-Way.--Section 605 of the Sloan Canyon National 
Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq-3) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
    ``(h) <<NOTE: Water. Deadlines.>> Horizon Lateral Pipeline Right-of-
Way.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding sections 202 and 503 of 
        the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
        1712, 1763) and subject to valid existing rights and paragraph 
        (3), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director 
        of the Bureau of Land Management (referred to in this subsection 
        as the `Secretary'), shall, not later than 1 year after the date 
        of enactment of this subsection, grant to the Southern Nevada 
        Water Authority (referred to in this subsection as the 
        `Authority'), not subject to the payment of rents or other 
        charges, the temporary and permanent water

[[Page 140 STAT. 823]]

        pipeline infrastructure, and outside the boundaries of the 
        Conservation Area, powerline, facility, and access road rights-
        of-way depicted on the map for the purposes of--
                    ``(A) performing geotechnical investigations within 
                the rights-of-way; and
                    ``(B) constructing and operating water transmission 
                and related facilities.
            ``(2) Excavation and disposal.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Authority may, without 
                consideration, excavate and use or dispose of sand, 
                gravel, minerals, or other materials from the tunneling 
                of the water pipeline necessary to fulfill the purpose 
                of the rights-of-way granted under paragraph (1).
                    ``(B) Memorandum of understanding.--Not later than 
                30 days after the date on which the rights-of-way are 
                granted under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the 
                Authority shall enter into a memorandum of understanding 
                identifying Federal land on which the Authority may 
                dispose of materials under subparagraph (A) to further 
                the interests of the Bureau of Land Management.
            ``(3) Requirements.--A right-of-way issued under this 
        subsection shall be subject to the following requirements:
                    ``(A) The Secretary may include reasonable terms and 
                conditions, consistent with section 505 of the Federal 
                Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1765), 
                as are necessary to protect Conservation Area resources.
                    ``(B) Construction of the water pipeline shall not 
                permanently adversely affect conservation area surface 
                resources.
                    ``(C) The right-of-way shall not be located through 
                or under any area designated as wilderness.''.

    (c) Preservation of Transmission and Utility Corridors and Rights-
of-Way.--The expansion of the Conservation Area boundary under the 
amendment made by subsection (a)--
            (1) <<NOTE: Record.>> shall be subject to valid existing 
        rights, including land within a designated utility transmission 
        corridor or a transmission line right-of-way grant approved by 
        the Secretary in a record of decision issued before the date of 
        the enactment of this Act;
            (2) shall not preclude--
                    (A) any activity authorized in accordance with a 
                designated corridor or right-of-way referred to in 
                paragraph (1), including the operation, maintenance, 
                repair, or replacement of any authorized utility 
                facility within the corridor or right-of-way; or
                    (B) the Secretary from authorizing the establishment 
                of a new utility facility right-of-way within an 
                existing designated transportation and utility corridor 
                referred to in paragraph (1)--
                          (i) in accordance with the National 
                      Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 
                      et seq.) and other applicable laws; and
                          (ii) subject to such terms and conditions as 
                      the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

    (d) Management of the Conservation Area.--Except as provided in the 
amendment made by subsection (b), nothing in this Act or the amendments 
made by this Act shall modify the management of the Conservation Area 
pursuant to section 605 of the

[[Page 140 STAT. 824]]

Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Act (16 U.S.C. 460qqq-3).

    Approved May 19, 2026.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 972:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 119-279 (Comm. on Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 171 (2025):
                                    Dec. 15, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                                        Vol. 172 (2026):
                                    Feb. 26, considered and passed 
                                        Senate.

                                  <all>