Sponsors (3)
The bill directs modest, targeted federal grants and expanded eligibility to accelerate water storage and natural recharge projects across Reclamation States—boosting regional water resilience and equity—while increasing federal spending, imposing matching and administrative burdens, and leaving overall funding and program flexibility insufficient to meet all local, tribal, and environmental needs.
State, local, and regional water agencies gain new, predictable federal grant funding for water storage and recharge (authorizes $20M/year for storage FY2027–FY2033 and $15M/year for natural infrastructure FY2027–FY2031), enabling planning and partnership development.
Communities, farmers, and water utilities benefit from projects that mimic natural recharge and floodplain retention, increasing groundwater recharge and buffering supplies in dry years (improves local water resilience and public health/safety).
Expanded eligibility (including IIJA-authorized feasibility-study projects and a range of small-to-midsize storage and larger recharge programs) enables more projects to move toward construction faster and increases the types/scale of projects that can receive federal support.
Taxpayers face higher federal spending obligations from the new and expanded grant programs (authorized multi‑year appropriations), increasing federal outlays for water infrastructure.
Authorized funding levels are modest relative to the scale of water infrastructure need, so many eligible projects may not receive grants or will face long waiting periods.
Requirements to distribute funding across multiple Reclamation States could slow or dilute funding for the highest-priority or most-ready projects if limited dollars must be spread thinly.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Expands Reclamation grant authority and authorizes multi-year funding for storage, recharge, and natural water retention projects with new capacity thresholds and distribution rules.
Introduced January 29, 2026 by Ruben Gallego · Last progress January 29, 2026
Expands Interior Department authority and funding to support new and existing water storage, recharge, and natural retention projects across Reclamation States. It changes eligibility and size thresholds for grants, requires grant distribution across multiple States, sets federal cost-share limits, and authorizes multi-year funding streams for both constructed storage and natural water retention projects. The bill creates a grant program for projects that increase aquifer recharge, floodplain retention, and runoff timing using primarily natural materials; establishes capacity and review requirements for larger projects; preserves State and Federal water law and compacts; and directs the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure funds are distributed across multiple Reclamation States.