§ 143-215.73A. Water Resources Development Plan.
Part 8A. Water ResourcesDevelopment Projects.
§ 143‑215.73A. WaterResources Development Plan.
(a) Plan prepared. Before1 July in each calendar year, the Department of Environment and NaturalResources shall prepare a statewide plan for water resources developmentprojects for a period of six years into the future. The plan shall be known asthe Water Resources Development Plan. If the plan differs from the WaterResources Development Plan adopted for the preceding calendar year, theDepartment shall indicate the changes and the reasons for such changes. TheDepartment shall submit the plan to the Director of the Budget for review.
(b) Projects listed. Theplan shall list the following water resources development projects based ontheir status as of 1 May of the year in which the plan is prepared:
(1) Projects approved bythe Congress of the United States.
(2) Projects for whichthe Congress of the United States has appropriated funds.
(3) Projects for whichgrant applications have been submitted under Part 8 of Article 21 of Chapter143 of the General Statutes.
(4) Projects for whichgrant applications have been submitted under Article 4 of Chapter 139 of theGeneral Statutes.
(5) Projects planned asfederal reservoir projects but for which no federal funds are scheduled and forwhich local governments are seeking State financial assistance.
(c) Project prioritiesand funding recommendations. The Department shall assign a priority to eachproject within each of the five categories listed under subsection (b) of thissection either by giving the project a number, with "1" assigned tothe highest priority, or by recommending no funding. The Department shall stateits reasons for recommending the funding, deferral, or elimination of aproject. The Department shall determine the priority of a project based on thefollowing criteria: local interest in the project, the cost of the project tothe State, the benefit of the project to the State, and the environmentalimpact of the project.
(d) Project information. For each project listed under subsection (b) of this section, the WaterResources Development Plan shall:
(1) Provide a briefdescription.
(2) If federal, list theestimated cost of each of the following phases that have not been completed asof 1 July, (i) feasibility study, (ii) construction, (iii) operation andmaintenance, and the amount of State funds required to match the federal fundsneeded.
(3) If State or local,list the estimated cost to complete the project and amount of State fundsrequired under G.S. 143‑215.71 or G.S. 139‑54.
(4) Indicate the totalcost to date and the State share of that cost.
(5) Indicate the status.
(6) Indicate theestimated completion date.
(e) Distribution of theplan. The Director of the Budget shall provide copies of the plan to theGeneral Assembly along with the recommended biennial budget and the recommendedrevised budget for the second year of the biennium.
(f) Budgetrecommendations. The Director of the Budget shall determine which projects,if any, will be included in the recommended biennial budget and in therecommended revised budget for the second year of the biennium. The budgetdocument transmitted to the General Assembly shall identify the projects ortypes of projects recommended for funding. (1991, c. 181, s. 1; 1997‑443, s. 11A.119(a);2006‑203, s. 91.)