Public Law 83–774

That the Secretary of the. Interior is hereby authorized to construct the project for irrigation and the conservation of water, flood control, and for other purposes, on Santa Maria River, California, pursuant to the laws of California relating to water and water rights, and, otherwise substantially in accordance with the recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior dated January 16, 1953, entitled “Santa Maria project, Southern Pacific Basin, California”, in relation to the Vaquero Dam and Reservoir and any other conservation feature of the project: Provided, That in view of the special circumstances of the Santa Maria project, neither the provisions of the third sentence of

43 USC 423e.

section 46 of the Act of May 25, 1926 (44 Stat. 636, 649) nor any other similar provision of the Federal reclamation laws shall be applicable thereto so long as the water utilized on project lands is acquired by

Repayment contract.

pumping from the underground reservoir: Provided further, That a repayment contract not exceeding a period of fifty years be executed prior to commencement of construction of the works herein authorized.

Sec. 2.

There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any

Appropriation.

moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be required for the purposes of this Act not to exceed $16,982,000.