JmstReservoir2011SatViewWashington (CSi)  U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp voted with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate to pass a water resources bill, which contains provisions she worked with Senator John Hoeven to include that benefit trailer home owners along Lake Tschida and permit holders along three North Dakota reservoirs.

Hoeven says  the U.S. Senate and House have reconciled their versions of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and it has now passed both chambers.

The provisions benefiting North Dakota were included in a bipartisan compromise negotiated between the House and the Senate, and were based on provisions Heitkamp and Hoeven successfully pushed for when the Senate first passed its version of the bill in September.

 

Heitkamp says, “Working with Senator Hoeven, we were able to make sure folks on Lake Patterson, Lake Tschida, and Jamestown Reservoir can keep swimming, fishing, and boating on these lakes. Outdoor recreation on our lakes is one of many reasons North Dakota is such a great place to live and raise a family, and Senator Hoeven and I were able to fight together to keep those recreation opportunities affordable for folks along these reservoirs.”

 

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Reclamation announced permit fee changes for those who have permits for cabins and trailers around the reservoirs, with fees set to increase between 90 and 157 percent. Heitkamp was concerned about the steep increase in permitting fees, which was scheduled to take effect in January 2017.

 

The provisions will limit a planned increase in permit costs for lots on Jamestown Reservoir, Lake Tschida, and Patterson Lake. Capping the rent that the Bureau of Reclamation can charge will help make sure those lots remain affordable over the next five years.

 

Additionally, the bill will allow trailers at Lake Tschida to remain on their lots if anchored so that trailer-owners who have invested in those properties can remain and enjoy the lake as they have for years.