119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 9785
The South Dakota Water Feasibility Studies Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct three separate feasibility studies for water supply projects in the Missouri River basin region. The first study examines a proposed Western South Dakota water project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water from the Missouri River, the second evaluates expansion of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, and the third assesses a Dakota Mainstem project serving South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Each study will be conducted in coordination with nonprofit water entities and other federal, state, tribal, and local authorities, with the Secretary ultimately recommending whether each project should be authorized for construction and determining the appropriate non-federal cost share (at least 25 percent). The bill authorizes $10 million for each of the three studies, with the federal government covering no more than 50 percent of feasibility study costs, and all authority under the bill expires 10 years after enactment.