Sponsors (2)
The bill increases federal planning and capacity‑building support (navigators, planning grants, and substantial cost‑share) to help rural, Tribal, and disadvantaged communities pursue multi‑benefit water projects, but it focuses on planning rather than construction, requires local matching, limits some eligibility, and adds federal spending that could crowd other priorities.
Rural and Tribal communities gain eligibility and on‑the‑ground navigator support (grant navigation, feasibility, design, and environmental review assistance) to plan and secure multi‑benefit water projects, improving access to federal assistance and project readiness.
Eligible recipients can receive up to 75% federal cost‑share (with waivers for Tribes and disadvantaged entities), lowering local upfront costs for project development and making projects more financially feasible.
The program explicitly supports multi‑benefit and nature‑based projects that combine water supply resilience with ecosystem/watershed improvements, promoting climate resilience, ecosystem health, and potential local jobs/ecosystem services.
The program is focused on planning and navigator positions (grants limited to 3 years with a possible 2‑year extension) rather than construction funding, so physical infrastructure repairs or new buildouts may be delayed.
Authorizing roughly $90 million over six years increases federal spending and could raise deficits or require offsets, which may affect taxpayers or other federal priorities.
Required recipient cost‑share of at least 25% (absent a waiver) can be a barrier for cash‑strained or low‑capacity communities, limiting their ability to access program support.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates a grant program to fund navigator positions that help eligible entities plan and implement multi‑benefit water projects, prioritizing Tribes, disadvantaged and rural communities.
Introduced February 5, 2026 by Brittany Pettersen · Last progress February 5, 2026
Creates a federal Water Project Navigators Program to fund navigator positions that help communities, Tribes, and other eligible entities plan, develop, and implement multi‑benefit water projects (water supply, climate resilience, and ecosystem/watershed benefits). Grants will generally run up to 3 years (with a possible 2‑year extension), with up to 75% federal cost‑share and discretionary reductions or waivers for Tribes, acequias/land grants, disadvantaged communities, and other hardship cases. The program must be established within 180 days and is authorized $15 million per year for FY2027–FY2032. The Secretary of the Interior (through Reclamation) must set program criteria with public comment, prioritize applicants serving Indian Tribes, disadvantaged and rural communities, and low‑capacity partners, coordinate with other federal programs, prohibit funding for meeting existing mitigation or compliance obligations, and report to Congress within five years including, to the extent practicable, a quantitative benefits analysis.