Ciscomani Leads Bipartisan Effort to Support Western Water Management and Combat Drought

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani is proud to introduce legislation with Representative Joe Neguse (CO-02) aimed at supporting local control of water management issues among communities and tribes in Arizona and other Western states. Senators Steve Daines from Montana and John Hickenlooper from Colorado introduced the companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

The bipartisan Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 7978) would extend the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) for four years, as it is set to expire at the end of 2026. The CWMP is a part of the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART program and provides funding for local non-regulatory watershed groups in the Western United States. These groups partner with local communities to address water management needs, create strategies, and carry out critical water projects.

This legislation would reauthorize CWMP until 2031 and increase its funding to $40 million per year, better equipping watershed groups to help address and fix local water management issues across the state of Arizona and the West.

"Southern Arizona knows firsthand how important it is to manage our water resources wisely. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program helps bring local communities, tribes, farmers, and water managers together to develop practical, locally driven solutions to drought and long-term water security," said Ciscomani. "As a champion of this program on the Appropriations Committee, I've worked to ensure it has the resources it needs to support collaborative water management efforts across the West. I'm proud to introduce this legislation to strengthen and reauthorize the program so communities in Arizona's Sixth District and across the country can continue working together to protect and sustain our water resources for generations to come."

"Reliable access to clean water is a basic necessity for Montanans," said Daines. "This bipartisan bill provides a commonsense solution to water management needs by funding CWMP and will help ensure our communities are equipped to face drought, wildfires, or other natural disasters."

"We need to put local communities at the center of solving our evolving water issues and empower them to lead the way," said Hickenlooper. "When Coloradans work together to manage our water challenges, we protect watershed health and strengthen resilience against drought and floods."

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act comes with strong support from local and national leadership.

Haley Paul, Senior Policy Director, National Audubon Society, Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), commented:

"The National Audubon Society supports the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act, which will extend this crucial program and improve funding accessibility to boost watershed health. This program has proven successful on the ground in Arizona, including along the Lower Gila River, in building local capacity to identify and implement projects that address local water security needs. We thank Representatives Ciscomani and Neguse for introducing this bipartisan bill to provide resources to help communities build drought resilience and improve wildlife habitat in a hotter and drier West."

Alex Funk, Director of Water Resources, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, stated:

"The Cooperative Watershed Management Program fills a critical funding need: building the capacity of the small, rural organizations across the West who are making our watersheds more resilient to drought and wildfire, ensuring our water remains clean, and sustaining fish and wildlife valued by hunters and anglers. We applaud Representatives Ciscomani and Neguse in working together to introduce the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 and ensuring that these federal resources remain available for local watershed planning efforts."

Stephanie Bailenson, US Federal Water Policy Team Lead, responded:

"We need to empower locally driven solutions to Western water management. That's why The Nature Conservancy supports the bipartisan Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act. It's essential that the Bureau of Reclamation continues to receive robust resources to support collaborative projects that will better manage Western waters. TNC works with the agency and our state partners to address the harmful effects of long-term drought and aridification on the West's agricultural producers, communities and Tribes, rural economies and nature. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program has a long track record of success, and we applaud Senators Daines and Hickenlooper for their leadership."

You can read a summary and full text of the bill HERE.

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