§ 2215. Feasibility studies; planning, engineering, and design

(a) Feasibility studies

(1) Cost sharing

(A) In general

The Secretary shall not initiate any feasibility study for a water resources project after November 17, 1986, until appropriate non-Federal interests agree, by contract, to contribute 50 percent of the cost of the study.

(B) Payment of cost share during period of study

During the period of the study, the non-Federal share of the cost of the study payable under subparagraph (A) shall be 50 percent of the sum of—

(i) the cost estimate for the study as contained in the feasibility cost-sharing agreement; and

(ii) any excess of the cost of the study over the cost estimate if the excess results from—

(I) a change in Federal law; or

(II) a change in the scope of the study requested by the non-Federal interests.

(i) Project timely authorized Except as otherwise agreed to by the Secretary and the non-Federal interests and subject to clause (ii), the non-Federal share of any excess of the cost of the study over the cost estimate (excluding any excess cost described in subparagraph (B)(ii)) shall be payable on the date on which the Secretary and the non-Federal interests enter into an agreement pursuant to section 2211 (e) or 2213 (j) of this title with respect to the project.

(ii) Project not timely authorized If the project that is the subject of the study is not authorized by the date that is 5 years after the completion of the final report of the Chief of Engineers concerning the study or the date that is 2 years after the termination of the study, the non-Federal share of any excess of the cost of the study over the cost estimate (excluding any excess cost described in subparagraph (B)(ii)) shall be payable to the United States on that date.

(D) Amendment of cost estimate

The cost estimate referred to in subparagraph (B)(i) may be amended only by agreement of the Secretary and the non-Federal interests.

(E) In-kind contributions

The non-Federal share required under this paragraph may be satisfied by the provision of services, materials, supplies, or other in-kind services necessary to prepare the feasibility report.

(2) Applicability

This subsection shall not apply to any water resources study primarily designed for the purposes of navigational improvements in the nature of dams, locks, and channels on the Nation’s system of inland waterways.

(3) Detailed project reports

The requirements of this subsection that apply to a feasibility study also shall apply to a study that results in a detailed project report, except that—

(A) the first $100,000 of the costs of a study that results in a detailed project report shall be a Federal expense; and

(B) paragraph (1)(C)(ii) shall not apply to such a study.

(b) Planning and engineering

The Secretary shall not initiate any planning or engineering for a water resources project until appropriate non-Federal interests agree, by contract, to contribute 50 percent of the cost of the planning and engineering during the period of the planning and engineering. Costs of planning and engineering of projects for which non-Federal interests contributed 50 percent of the cost of the feasibility study shall be treated as costs of construction.

Costs of design of a water resources project shall be shared in the same percentage as the purposes of such project.

(d) Definitions

In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Detailed project report

The term “detailed project report” means a report for a project not specifically authorized by Congress in law or otherwise that determines the feasibility of the project with a level of detail appropriate to the scope and complexity of the recommended solution and sufficient to proceed directly to the preparation of contract plans and specifications. The term includes any associated environmental impact statement and mitigation plan. For a project for which the Federal cost does not exceed $1,000,000, the term includes a planning and design analysis document.

(2) Feasibility study

The term “feasibility study” means a study that results in a feasibility report under section 2282 of this title, and any associated environmental impact statement and mitigation plan, prepared by the Corps of Engineers for a water resources project. The term includes a study that results in a project implementation report prepared under title VI of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (114 Stat. 2680–2694), a general reevaluation report, and a limited reevaluation report.

U.S. Code

§ 2215. Feasibility studies; planning, engineering, and design