Water Monitoring and Tracking Essential Resources (Water) Data Improvement Act
Floor Speech
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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''.
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Mr. WESTERMAN. 5770, the bill now under consideration.
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.
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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.
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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.
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.
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