Western Water Reinvestment Act

Section 2(b)(1) amends the WaterSMART program to allow assistance for temporary, voluntary, and compensated transactions that decrease consumptive water use at a regional or watershed scale, which could financially benefit water users willing to participate.

Section 3 establishes a financial assistance program for agricultural producers in Reclamation States to create and maintain waterbird and shorebird habitats, providing direct payments or credits to participating farmers.

Section 4(a) mandates comprehensive drought planning for critically important fisheries and authorizes $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 to support fish, stream, and hatchery recovery efforts involving tribal governments and state agencies.

Section 2(c) improves the Cooperative Watershed Management Program by including Indian tribes, allowing continuous enrollment for grants, and offering higher first-phase grant amounts up to $150,000 per year.

Section 2(b)(2) increases the authorized appropriations cap for the WaterSMART program from $1,000,000,000 to $1,400,000,000, which represents an increase in potential federal spending borne by taxpayers.

Section 3 authorizes $3,500,000 annually through fiscal year 2031 for the waterbird and shorebird habitat creation program, adding to federal expenditures.

Section 4(a)(4) authorizes $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 for fish and hatchery activities, which also increases government spending.

Section 6(b)(1)(B) increases the allowable administrative cost cap for the Deschutes River Conservancy Working Group from 5 percent to 10 percent, potentially shifting more funds away from direct project work and toward administrative overhead.