Boozman, Cardin Call for Reauthorization of Water Research Grants

Statement

U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD),members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced the Water Resources Research Amendments (WRRA) Act, a bill to reauthorize federal grant funding for water resources research institutes in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each state and territory has a water institute located at a land grant or other university designated by its governor that conducts essential research on state and regional water challenges. Water Research Institutes also provide training for hydrologists and other water-related scientists and engineers, and fund public outreach and education on water issues.

"Access to safe and clean water is critical to the livelihood of every American. Research conducted by the Arkansas Water Resources Center and its sister institutions around the country helps manage this vital resource. This bill will provide the means needed to solve real-world problems so we can effectively meet the water demands of our communities," Boozman said.

"Extreme weather has increased the frequency of floods and droughts, causing more severe water issues nationwide. The research being done by scientists in every state looks at these new difficulties as well as chronic issues affecting availability, stability and public health. Our goal is to ensure that everyone in this country has clean, safe water at home and at work," Cardin said. "Clean water and resilient infrastructure are ever more critical for production of resources, economic stability, and the health and well-being of every person and business in this country."

WRRA amends the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to ease the burden on cash-strapped local jurisdictions by creating a 1:1 threshold for matching grants. It also provides greater accountability by aligning five-year grant funding with five-year evaluations and annual reporting.

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