This bill authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to implement multiple water conservation and drought resilience measures across federal water projects. The legislation allows the Corps to carry out water conservation operations, modify existing facilities to enhance water storage and retention, and operate projects with water supply as a primary purpose during drought conditions, while maintaining coordination with states and local authorities and compliance with all applicable water laws. The bill establishes a dedicated drought resilience program with $35 million in annual funding, requires federal-state cost sharing (with non-federal interests covering 35 percent of construction costs), and caps federal funding at $10 million per project. Additionally, the bill mandates that all Corps projects in Colorado River Basin states include water supply as a project purpose, allocates $5 million annually through 2034 for emergency drought operations, funds a forecast-informed reservoir operations pilot program in the Southwest, and reduces the non-federal cost share for tribal water projects from 50 percent to 10 percent while providing $25 million yearly for the Silver Jackets interagency program. The legislation applies to the seven Colorado River Basin states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and water users throughout the country with federal water projects.
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