Official Summaries

Every Drop Counts Act

This bill expands the Bureau of Reclamation's Small Storage Program, which is a grant program for small surface water or groundwater storage projects in certain western states.

First, the bill expands the types of projects that are eligible for grants under the program. Specifically, the bill makes a project eligible for a grant if the project (1) has water storage capacity of recharges no less than 200 acre-feet and no more than 150,000 acre-feet on an average annual basis over the life of the project for storage or use; and (2) increases groundwater aquifer storage, conveys water to or recovers water from groundwater storage, and stabilizes groundwater levels.

Next, it extends Reclamation's authority to carry out the grant program for another five years.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 338

To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to increase surface 
         water and groundwater storage, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2025

 Mr. Costa (for himself, Mr. Fulcher, and Mr. Valadao) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to increase surface 
         water and groundwater storage, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Every Drop Counts Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBLE WATER STORAGE PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--Subparagraph (B) of section 40903(b)(1) of the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203(b)(1)(B)) is 
amended to read as follows:
                    ``(B) Eligible projects.--The following projects 
                shall be eligible for consideration for a grant under 
                this section:
                            ``(i) General acre-feet capacity.--A 
                        project that--
                                    ``(I) has water storage capacity of 
                                not less than 200 acre-feet and not 
                                more than 30,000 acre-feet; and
                                    ``(II)(aa) increases surface water 
                                or groundwater storage; or
                                    ``(bb) conveys water, directly or 
                                indirectly, to or from surface water or 
                                groundwater storage.
                            ``(ii) Average annual project life acre-
                        feet capacity.--A project that--
                                    ``(I) has water storage capacity of 
                                recharges not less than 200 acre-feet 
                                and not more than 150,000 acre-feet on 
                                an average annual basis over the life 
                                of the project for storage or use; and
                                    ``(II)(aa) increases groundwater 
                                aquifer storage;
                                    ``(bb) conveys water, directly or 
                                indirectly, to or recovers water from 
                                groundwater storage;
                                    ``(cc) both increases groundwater 
                                aquifer storage and conveys water, 
                                directly or indirectly, to or recovers 
                                water from groundwater storage; and
                                    ``(dd) stabilizes groundwater 
                                levels.''.
    (b) Authority.--Section 40903(e) of the Infrastructure Investment 
and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3203(e)) is amended by striking ``5'' and 
inserting ``10''.

SEC. 3. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in the amendment made by section 2 shall be construed--
            (1) to supersede or in any manner affect or conflict with 
        State water law, Federal water law, interstate compacts, or 
        treaty obligations;
            (2) to authorize any acquisition of water by the Federal 
        Government; or
            (3) to supersede or infringe on any water rights.
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