Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act of 2025
Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act of 2025 - Summary **What It Does:** This bill extends federal funding and support for a program that measures snowpack (accumulated snow in mountains) to predict water supplies in western states through 2031. It requires the Bureau of Reclamation to use the most advanced technologies available to measure snow and forecast water availability more accurately. The bill emphasizes modernizing how the government tracks snowpack using new measurement tools and computer models that provide better, more complete data. **Who It Affects:** Western states that depend on snowmelt for water supplies (including Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states) will benefit from improved water forecasting. Water utilities, farmers, and federal water contractors who rely on accurate supply predictions are the primary beneficiaries.
Climate change has made snowpack patterns less predictable, making this modernization relevant for planning water distribution. **Current Status:** The bill has passed the House of Representatives and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate. It is a bipartisan reauthorization of an existing program, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO).
CRS Official Summary
Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act of 2025This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program of the Bureau of Reclamation. Under the existing program, Reclamation implements activities to improve snowpack measurements used for water supply forecasts in certain western states.The bill directs Reclamation to incorporate, to the greatest extent practicable, information from technologies that provide complete integration of accurate, timely, and spatially complete snowpack measurements and models when determining water supply forecasts or allocations to federal water contractors.Additionally, the bill requires the program's framework to emphasize the deployment of technologies that provide integration of snowpack measuring and modeling. The bill also requires the program's focus—activities that maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and integrated modeling—to place an emphasis on (1) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions, (2) real-time integration of measurement and modeling activities with water supply forecasts, (3) activities in river basins where measurements or modeling can produce snow and water supply data to inform water management decisions, and (4) building the capacity of the program partners to implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecast capabilities.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.