Watershed Results Act

Last action on Mar 17, 2026Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on...

Summary

The Watershed Results Act would authorize the Department of the Interior to establish between two and five watershed pilot programs in certain western states. These programs would use a results-focused approach called pay-for-performance contracts, where the government pays for successfully implemented environmental outcomes rather than just funding projects upfront.

Each pilot program would be led by a management team that develops a five-year implementation plan. Before funding is provided, the department and management team must conduct technical analysis to identify measurable goals such as improved water quality, increased water supply, enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, or other quantifiable environmental benefits. The government would then pay for achieving these specific outcomes at negotiated prices.

The bill would provide $15 million annually for these pilot programs and requires the Interior Department to submit annual reports to Congress on progress. If a pilot program proves successful, it could potentially become a permanent program with modified funding levels. This approach aims to make watershed restoration more efficient by tying federal funding directly to measurable environmental results rather than traditional project-based funding methods.

Lifecycle of the Bill

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.

Mar 17, 2026

HearingSenateMeeting

Mar 17, 2026 · 10:00

Hearings to examine S.1034, to establish the Southwestern Power Administration Fund, S.1242, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out watershed pilots, S.2437 and H.R.3857, bills to amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act, S.2753, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize certain extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern, S.3409, to reaffirm that the Bureau of Reclamation retains exclusive ownership, operational control, and financial responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, ensuring long-term conservation of the endangered pallid sturgeon and other native aquatic species in the Yellowstone River while protecting the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and District from undue financial and operational burdens, S.3500, to amend the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to annually submit to Congress a report on the status of ongoing hydropower relicensing applications, S.3518, to amend the Federal Power Act to address certain alterations in, and the maintenance and repair of, project works, to provide for the licensing of micro hydrokinetic energy projects, S.3635, to reauthorize the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000, S.3684, to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to reauthorize water power research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities, S.3693, to extend the authorization for a large-scale water recycling and reuse grant program, S.3723, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water from the Missouri River to the Western Dakota Regional Water System, S.3725, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to expand the capacity and reach of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, Inc. (doing business as "Lewis &amp; Clark Regional Water System"), in the States of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, S.3732, to amend the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act to authorize assistance under the storage program, S.3736, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in the States of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, S.3737, to amend the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible entities for the conduct of innovative approaches to voluntary water partnership agreements among multiple water users and projects conducted by individual agricultural entities, S.3738, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the large-scale water recycling and reuse program, to establish a Water Conveyance Improvement Program, S.3743, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a feasibility study on a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam, S.3792, to provide for the establishment of a Water Project Navigators Program, S.4040, to amend Public Law 89-108 to modify the authorization of appropriations for State and Tribal, municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies, and S.4041, to reauthorize the Cooperative Watershed Management Program.

Committee

Water and Power

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Summary

On March 17, 2026, the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power held a legislative hearing to consider a broad package of 22 bills aimed at modernizing water management and energy infrastructure. The legislation covers a wide range of initiatives, including the reauthorization of the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System, the establishment of a new fund for the Southwestern Power Administration, and the creation of the GROW SMART Act to provide financial assistance for voluntary water partnership agreements. Several bills also focus on improving snow water supply forecasting and expanding large-scale water recycling programs to combat persistent drought conditions. Other key proposals discussed include feasibility studies for major water supply projects in the Dakotas, Iowa, and Minnesota, as well as a study for a selective water withdrawal system at the Glen Canyon Dam. The committee also reviewed bills intended to increase transparency in the hydropower relicensing process and to support the maintenance of urban canals. These measures collectively represent an effort to address aging infrastructure, enhance water security for rural and tribal communities, and promote research into water power technologies. While the hearing provided a platform for senators to discuss the technical and financial requirements of these projects, no specific witness testimony was recorded in the initial proceedings. The discussion centered on balancing the needs of agricultural entities with environmental conservation, such as protecting the endangered pallid sturgeon in the Yellowstone River. This hearing serves as a preliminary step in the legislative process; the committee must now decide whether to amend these bills or vote to report them to the full Senate for further consideration.

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Watershed Results Act

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Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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