Rio Grande Water Security Act 2022-05-17 Introduced in House Rio Grande Water Security Act

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to develop and implement an integrated water resources management plan (i.e., the Basin Plan) for the Rio Grande Basin and reauthorizes an irrigation infrastructure grant program for Rio Grande Pueblos tribes.

Specifically, Interior must convene a working group of designated federal agencies to collaborate with the Basin States (Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas), Indian tribes, local governments, irrigation districts, and other partners to develop and implement a plan for improving the basin's water security and quality, river and watershed health, and resilience to drought. The plan must include (1) project recommendations for updating reservoir operations, increasing water conservation, and improving infrastructure; (2) a list of potential changes that may be needed to existing federal authorities to implement the plan; and (3) a 30-year implementation time line.

After the plan is submitted to Congress, relevant agencies may implement recommended projects. Agencies may also waive cost-sharing requirements for projects that demonstrate significant public benefits.

The bill also reauthorizes an irrigation infrastructure grant program that permits the Bureau of Reclamation to provide grants and enter into agreements with the Rio Grande Pueblos tribes for repairing and replacing Pueblo irrigation infrastructure to (1) increase water use efficiency and agricultural productivity, (2) conserve water, and (3) enhance water management.

]]> text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.