Bennet, Fischer, Merkley Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Cut Red Tape and Invest in Watershed Projects in Face of Extreme Drought

Mar 26, 2026| Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology, and U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) reintroduced the Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act to help American agriculture and communities become more resilient to drought and flooding by improving the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations program (also known as "PL-566").

"The PL-566 program is an important tool to help state, local, and Tribal governments and local water managers restore the health of our watersheds - but we need to do more to ensure this program works for the American West," said Bennet. "Our bill will cut red tape and help get federal assistance to watershed projects in Colorado. By investing in the health of our watersheds, we can make our communities more resilient to drought, flooding, and climate change."

"Farmers and ranchers should not be tied up by bureaucratic red tape when dealing with drought and flooding," said Fischer. "This program is in high demand, and folks on the ground dealing with their own unique challenges need certainty that it can help when needed. This common-sense reform opens the door for local water managers to better serve landowners while protecting precious natural resources in Nebraska."

"Climate chaos-fueled droughts are depleting water resources for people, farms, and wildlife, demanding urgent investments in our irrigation infrastructure. The PL-566 program is an effective modernization tool for irrigation systems to conserve water-keeping farms in operation during droughts while also protecting habitat for wildlife," said Merkley, who revitalized this program when he served as the top Democrat on the subcommittee in charge of funding the PL-566 program. "Oregonians' ingenuity with this program has supported projects that benefit both farmers and wildlife, becoming a model for folks across the West. Our bipartisan bill expands upon this success and enables rural communities to better mitigate the devastating impacts of drought."

Currently, snowpack conditions in the Rocky Mountains, particularly in Colorado, are deeply concerning. As of this month, Colorado's snowpack stands at roughly 40% of the median snow water equivalent in most basins. These levels point to an early and sustained drying of forests and rangelands, and could lead to a longer and more severe fire season, as well as detrimental effects on Colorado watersheds and agriculture.

As the American West faces severe drought and more frequent flooding, farmers, ranchers, and communities are turning to the PL-566 program to mitigate the effects of these natural disasters through watershed improvement projects. As demand for this program grows, inadequate funding and burdensome red tape keep applicants from accessing its full benefits. Western states, especially, face a harder time accessing the program as a result of its structure and eligibility requirements.

The Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act would streamline the planning and administration processes to enable more watershed-wide projects, shift decision-making to local NRCS staff, expand program eligibility, and allow federal funding to count toward state and local match requirements. The bill also prioritizes projects with multiple conservation and public benefits and makes drought resilience an explicit purpose of the program.

"As our Colorado farmers, ranchers, and resource managers work hard to achieve greater drought resilience, this bill stands to improve our watershed planning process. By leveraging greater federal contribution and prioritizing irrigation system modernization, Senator Bennet's Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act will address our diverse management needs in an economically viable way," said Carlyle Currier, President, Colorado Farm Bureau

"Western farmers and ranchers are facing an unprecedented moment-one defined by a historic snow drought and the shortest water supplies many of our states and watersheds have seen in our lifetime. In times like these, we need every tool in the toolbox functioning and accessible. The NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program (PL-566) has long proven its value in helping modernize water infrastructure across the West, and its importance is only growing. These are not just short-term fixes-they are long-term, vital investments in rural communities, supporting everything from irrigation modernization to the protection of life, property, and the landscapes we depend on. The Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act strengthens this already effective program by improving planning, streamlining implementation, and reinforcing local control-ensuring solutions are tailored to the communities they serve. We appreciate the leadership of Senator Bennet, along with Senators Fischer and Merkley, for advancing this bipartisan effort at a time when it matters most," said Sam Barncastle, Executive Director, Family Farm Alliance

"The Healthy Watershed, Healthy Communities Act is a sensible modification to the invaluable PL-566 tool. Water programs, services, and projects are more complex today than they were nearly 70 years ago when PL-566 was enacted. To succeed in the future, water managers, resource stewards, and communities must be more creative and work more collaboratively. From where I sit along St. Vrain Creek as it meets the South Platte River, I have concluded our community is craving holistic, sensible, apolitical leadership when it comes to addressing current and future challenges around water. This Act is all those things, and when approved, could have a positive impact, not only in my backyard, but across the West and U.S.," said Sean Cronin, Executive Director, St. Vrain & Left Hand Water Conservancy District.

"Across the Western United States, irrigation districts have come to rely on the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program to modernize aging infrastructure and make themselves, and their patrons, more resilient to the impacts of drought. Thank you to Senator Bennet for his leadership in introducing the Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act (S.2636) and the support of Senator Merkley and Senator Fischer for co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation," said Julie O'Shea, Executive Director at Farmers Conservation Alliance. "This legislation is critical to improving the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations program, so it is better positioned to develop and implement modernization projects that provide multiple benefits to agriculture, the environment, and local communities."

"The Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026 is an excellent opportunity to modernize the PL-566 program to improve watershed health while meeting the diverse demands for the program throughout the country. Its passage would improve the speed of program delivery and ensure multiple economic and watershed health benefits are prioritized, including benefits to wild and native trout and salmon habitat. Trout Unlimited thanks Senators Bennet, Fischer, and Merkley for their work and supports the passage of this bill," said Lindsay Slater, VP of Government Affairs, Trout Unlimited.

The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.

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