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HIGHLIGHTS
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On May 15, the EPA announced $24.9M in funding for the Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities (SUDC) Grant Program to support safe drinking water infrastructure and compliance with national regulations. The EPA waived the usual 10% cost share requirement and allocated specific amounts to western States.
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On May 20, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment held a hearing on the FY26 DOI budget, with lawmakers voicing both support for efficiency goals and strong opposition to proposed cuts, particularly to USGS programs. Secretary Doug Burgum emphasized federal-state collaboration, especially on water issues and Colorado River negotiations, highlighting the role of Andrea Travnicek in future mediation efforts.
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On May 21, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development reviewed the FY26 budget for the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. Lawmakers criticized the politicization of funding allocation and stressed the need to support sustainable water infrastructure and uphold treaty obligations.
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On May 21, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee advanced the Water Research Optimization Act of 2025 (S.1523), which would centralize water research leadership at the National Water Center (NWC) in Alabama. Senator Katie Britt highlighted the Center’s importance in modernizing water research and improving national preparedness through advanced modeling and forecast integration.
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On May 7–9, the Western States Water Council and California Department of Water Resources hosted a workshop on Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) precipitation forecasting, emphasizing research and applications for drought and water management. A full report on the workshop, as well as background information and prior workshops, is available here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
S2S Funding Support Letter
A S2S coalition of agencies and organizations is asking for support for a $15M increase in Fiscal Year 2026 for the U.S. Weather Research Program line item within NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) to address development of reliable S2S forecasting to provide water managers with longer lead times and critical data to operate infrastructure more efficiently and allocate resources. The $15M would include $3M for academic research grants, $4M for NOAA Labs for product development, $2M to the NWS for product evaluation and implementation, $2M for the NWS Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) for implementation and evaluation of model improvements, and $4 million for computing resources. A letter of support to House and Senate appropriators is circulating. Members wishing to sign on may contact Jordan Smith, jas@vnf.com.
Summer Meetings
The WSWC 2025 Summer Meetings and 60th Anniversary will be held in Snowbird, Utah. Registration for virtual attendance (June 11-12) is now available at the link below: