Bill > HR3857

This bill reauthorizes and modifies the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program, which is a federal initiative aimed at improving snowpack measurement and water supply prediction technologies. The bill updates the program's focus to emphasize more integrated and advanced technologies for measuring snowpack, including airborne laser altimetry, imaging spectroscopy, and physics-based snowpack and hydrologic modeling. It expands the program's collaborative efforts by explicitly including agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The bill shifts the program's objectives to prioritize real-time integration of snowpack measurements with water supply forecasts, particularly in river basins where such data can inform critical water management decisions, including interstate water management. Importantly, the bill also adjusts the program's funding, reducing the aggregate authorization from $15 million over fiscal years 2022-2026 to $3 million annually for fiscal years 2027-2031. The changes are designed to enhance the program's capabilities in tracking and predicting water resources, especially in the context of changing weather and watershed conditions.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3857/all-info