[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 112 (Monday, July 8, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4466-H4467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WATER MONITORING AND TRACKING ESSENTIAL RESOURCES (WATER) DATA 
                            IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5770) to reauthorize certain United States Geological Survey 
water data enhancement programs, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5770

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Water Monitoring and 
     Tracking Essential Resources (WATER) Data Improvement Act''.

     SEC. 2. WATER DATA ENHANCEMENT BY UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL 
                   SURVEY.

       Section 9507 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 
     2009 (42 U.S.C. 10367) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking the heading and inserting ``Federal 
     Priority Streamgage Program'';
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``national streamflow 
     information program, as reviewed by the National Research 
     Council in 2004'' and inserting ``Federal priority streamgage 
     program'';
       (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``national streamflow 
     information program'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``Federal priority streamgage program'';
       (D) in paragraph (4)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) by striking ``2009'' and inserting ``2023''; and
       (II) in clause (ii), by inserting ``precipitation'' before 
     ``water-quality sensors''; and

       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``National Streamflow 
     Information Program as reviewed by the National Research 
     Council.'' and inserting ``Federal needs established through 
     regular solicitation of feedback, such as that documented in 
     the report titled `Re-prioritization of the U.S. Geological 
     Survey Federal Priority streamgage program, 2022' (Open-file 
     Report 2023-1032).'';
       (E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``national streamgaging 
     network'' each place it appears and inserting ``Federal 
     priority streamgage network''; and
       (F) in paragraph (6)--
       (i) in subparagraph (A)--

       (I) by striking ``national streamflow information program'' 
     and inserting ``Federal priority streamgage program''; and
       (II) by striking ``2023'' and inserting ``2028''; and

       (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``2019'' and 
     inserting ``2028'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and Tribes'' after 
     ``agencies'' and
       (ii) in subparagraph (C)--

       (I) by inserting ``or Tribal lands'' after ``within a 
     State''; and
       (II) by inserting ``or Tribe'' after ``water resource 
     agency'';

       (B) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``, a Tribe'' after ``a 
     State''; and
       (C) in paragraph (7)--
       (i) by striking ``such sums as are necessary'' and 
     inserting ``$4,000,000 per fiscal year''; and
       (ii) by striking ``2009 through 2023'' and inserting ``2023 
     through 2028'';
       (3) by striking subsection (c);
       (4) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c); and
       (5) in subsection (c)(4) (as so redesignated by this 
     subsection), by striking ``2019'' and inserting ``2028''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Lee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.

[[Page H4467]]

  



                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5770, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague Mr. Neguse's 
bipartisan bill, which reauthorizes the Federal priority streamgages 
and the national groundwater resources monitoring programs through 
fiscal year 2028 at existing funding levels.
  The USGS operates and maintains a nationwide streamgaging network, 
which monitors the amount of water flowing through streams and rivers 
across the country at any given point in time. Data from this network 
is used by public and private users, including government agencies 
responsible for water management and emergency responses, utilities, 
environmental agencies, and recreational interests. This data informs 
Americans on whether conditions are safe for fishing, boating, or 
rafting.
  Additionally, the national groundwater resources monitoring program 
administers a network of water-level wells and water-quality wells. The 
USGS makes this data publicly available through the National Ground-
Water Monitoring Network data portal. Given the groundwater is managed 
by individual States, this data enables States, stakeholders, and 
individuals to make decisions using the best available science.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
Representative Neguse's H.R. 5770, the WATER Data Improvement Act.
  The WATER Data Improvement Act represents a bipartisan approach to 
ensuring that water resource managers have the data they need to 
provide communities and the environment with access to safe, clean 
water.
  The legislation will promote successful drought resiliency 
strategies, strengthen essential programs, and increase water quality 
by reauthorizing the U.S. Geological Survey's national groundwater 
resources monitoring network, its Federal priority streamgage network, 
and improved water estimation, measurement, and monitoring grant 
funding through 2028.
  The impacts of these programs and grants have been transformative. 
The national groundwater resources monitoring network brings together 
Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies' groundwater monitoring 
efforts while the Federal priority streamgage network measures 
streamflow information to promote access to crucial groundwater and 
streamflow data for water resource managers. The legislation would also 
provide grants to develop, improve, and implement new methodologies and 
technologies for collecting, analyzing, and delivering water resource 
data.
  With 2024 on track to be the hottest year on record and many 
communities throughout the West facing a historic drought crisis, it is 
imperative that we provide water resource managers with the tools that 
they need to collect and provide accurate data to develop and implement 
innovative water management and conservation plans.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the WATER Data 
Improve Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am 
prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), the sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, my gratitude to the 
gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Lee), my distinguished colleague, for her 
leadership on this particular issue, her leadership in the Colorado 
River Caucus over the course of these last several years as the Upper 
Basin and Lower Basin States grapple with a historic drought, as was 
articulated.
  I could not say it any better than she did as to the bipartisan 
approach that she and others are championing here in the United States 
Congress. I am proud to add this particular piece of legislation to 
that approach. Of course, my gratitude to Chairman Westerman and 
Ranking Member Grijalva for their consideration of this important bill.
  I have the honor and the privilege of representing the great State of 
Colorado in the United States Congress, and the headwaters of the 
Colorado River are in my district. In Colorado, we know how important 
it is to preserve, protect, and strengthen these critical water 
resources and how important data is to that effort, which is why this 
bill is so important.

  As has been explained by both the chairman and Representative Lee, 
the Federal priority streamgage network is a federally funded network 
of streamgages to measure streamflow information for forecasting, flood 
and drought planning, water-quality monitoring, and more. The national 
groundwater resources monitoring network is a collaborative network 
that serves a similar purpose.
  At the end of the day, the improved water estimation, measurement, 
and monitoring technologies programs provide grants to develop and 
implement new technologies and methodologies to measure water resources 
data. Each of these programs, I can certainly tell you, Mr. Speaker, is 
a valuable source of information for water users across the State of 
Colorado, across the Upper Basin States, the Lower Basin States, and, 
indeed, across the Rocky Mountain West.
  It is critical these efforts be supported and authorized, which is 
why I am proud to sponsor this important bipartisan legislation.
  It is a simple bill, a noncontroversial bill, one that I hope will 
earn the support of every Member of this august body, and I certainly 
look forward, after the House has considered it, to getting it across 
the finish line with our partners in the Senate, Senator Lummis and 
Senator Hickenlooper, of course, from the great State of Colorado.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today reauthorizes 
programs that provide data and inform real-time decisionmaking and 
long-term planning. The USGS water data is fundamental to national and 
local economies, protection of life and property, and effective 
management of our Nation's water resources.

                              {time}  1630

  I know personally in Arkansas if I want to go float on the Nation's 
first wild and scenic river, the Buffalo National River, the first 
thing I do is go online and look at the data from the USGS water gauges 
to determine where the best place is to float. This data is used all 
across the country in many different ways.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Congressman Neguse's work on the 
legislation, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5770, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5770, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________