Water Security and Drought Resilience Act
SB3732, titled the Water Security and Drought Resilience Act, would amend existing federal reclamation and water-storage authorities to expand and extend funding for water storage, groundwater recharge, and related drought-resilience projects in Reclamation States. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to provide financial assistance for storage-program projects and broadens eligibility to include additional projects with authorized feasibility studies under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It also requires that assistance and grants be distributed across multiple Reclamation States rather than concentrated in a single region.
The bill reauthorizes and modifies the small storage program by updating eligible project criteria, extending the program’s termination date from 5 years to 10 years, and authorizing $20 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2033. It also adds a new grant program for natural water retention and release projects, including aquifer recharge, floodplain retention, and other projects that mimic natural hydrologic processes. That new program would authorize $15 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, cap the federal share at 90 percent, and treat federal funds as nonreimbursable.
If enacted, the bill would amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand federal water-storage and drought-resilience funding authorities in Reclamation States. It would affect the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation grant and assistance programs, local water agencies, irrigation and water districts, municipalities, Indian Tribes, and nonprofit partners eligible to apply for natural water retention and release grants. The bill also includes explicit savings language stating that it does not supersede state water law, federal water law, interstate compacts, treaty obligations, or water rights, and does not authorize federal acquisition of water.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally supportive of drought resilience, water supply reliability, and regional water infrastructure investment. The absence of recorded votes or committee debate in the provided materials suggests no documented opposition or controversy in the available record, and the bill was at the hearing stage in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. The overall framing is pragmatic and bipartisan in tone, emphasizing water security, storage, and local project development.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the scope of federal spending, the expansion of eligible projects, and how grants are distributed among Reclamation States. Some stakeholders may question whether the new natural water retention and release category is broad enough or whether the federal cost-share and nonreimbursable funding structure is appropriate. Others may focus on ensuring that the bill’s federal assistance does not interfere with state water rights, interstate compacts, or existing reclamation priorities; the bill addresses those concerns directly by preserving existing water-law frameworks and requiring distribution across multiple states.