S3792-119

What This Bill Does

The Water Project Navigators Act directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to establish the Water Project Navigators Program within 180 days after enactment. The program would award grants or cooperative agreements to support positions that help eligible entities plan, develop, and implement multi-benefit water projects in eligible western States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

The bill defines eligible entities to include States, Indian Tribes, acequias, land grant-mercedes, local governments, water suppliers, special districts, conservation districts, municipal water districts, certain State, regional, or local water or power authorities, nonprofit conservation organizations with partnership experience, and combinations of those entities. It defines multi-benefit water projects as projects that improve resilience to climate-related water-supply impacts and also benefit ecosystems or watersheds. Covered activities include water use efficiency, reduced consumptive use, system conservation, water recycling, safe drinking water access, rural and Tribal economic investment, recreation, sustainable groundwater management, habitat conservation, water quality improvements, invasive species protection, ecosystem restoration, and wetland or riparian groundwater support.

The Secretary must create award criteria and make those criteria available for public comment before finalizing them. Awards must prioritize applications that directly serve Indian Tribes, disadvantaged communities, rural communities, and other eligible entities with limited resources or limited capacity to develop multi-benefit water projects. Priority factors include use of natural or nature-based features, support from multiple stakeholders such as Tribes, irrigated agriculture, hydroelectric producers, municipal and industrial water users, local governments, community organizations, and conservation nonprofits, potential job creation in Tribal, disadvantaged, or rural communities, and coordination with other Interior drought resilience or watershed health programs.

Navigator positions may help recipients with grant writing, project management, feasibility work, design, preliminary environmental review, engineering, and other necessary activities. Grants and cooperative agreements generally last up to three years, with possible continuation or extension for up to two more years after satisfactory performance. The federal share generally may not exceed 75 percent of project costs, but the Secretary may reduce or waive the non-federal share for Indian Tribes, acequias, land grant-mercedes, disadvantaged communities, or eligible entities working with or on behalf of those entities if the match would cause financial hardship. The bill bars awards for activities that only meet existing environmental mitigation or compliance obligations. It authorizes $15 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 and requires a report to Congress within five years on water-balance, drought-resilience, ecosystem-resilience, capacity-building, and quantitative program benefits.

Who Benefits and How

Indian Tribes benefit from priority access to navigator funding and a possible waiver of non-federal cost-share requirements. Disadvantaged communities and rural communities benefit because the program is designed to build capacity where local staff or technical resources are limited. Local water suppliers, acequias, land grant-mercedes, special districts, conservation districts, and municipal water districts benefit from funded help with grant writing, project management, feasibility, design, environmental review, and engineering. Nonprofit conservation organizations benefit when they have a demonstrated history of working with eligible public or Tribal partners. Ecosystems and watersheds benefit where funded projects improve habitat, water quality, watershed function, invasive species protection, or sustainable groundwater supplies.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation bear administrative duties to establish the program, develop criteria, run public comment, make regular funding opportunities available, coordinate with Federal, Tribal, State, and local technical assistance programs, monitor performance, and report to Congress. Grant recipients bear application, cost-share, compliance, performance, and reporting responsibilities, and must comply with applicable Federal and State laws. Federal taxpayers bear the budgetary cost of the $90 million authorization over six fiscal years. Applicants seeking funding for existing environmental mitigation or compliance obligations are excluded from receiving awards for those activities.

Key Provisions

• Defines disadvantaged communities, eligible entities, eligible States, rural communities, natural features, nature-based features, and multi-benefit water projects for the program.
• Establishes the Water Project Navigators Program in the Department of the Interior within 180 days.
• Authorizes grants and cooperative agreements for navigator positions that support grant writing, project management, technical assistance, feasibility, design, preliminary environmental review, and engineering.
• Prioritizes applicants serving Indian Tribes, disadvantaged communities, rural communities, nature-based projects, multi-stakeholder projects, job creation, and coordination with Interior drought or watershed programs.
• Limits the federal share to 75 percent while allowing hardship-based cost-share reductions or waivers for Tribes, acequias, land grant-mercedes, disadvantaged communities, or entities working on their behalf.
• Prohibits awards for activities that merely satisfy existing environmental mitigation or compliance obligations.
• Authorizes $15 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 and requires a five-year report to Congress on program benefits.