Audubon Welcomes Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Cooperative Watershed Management 

Both chambers of Congress introduced the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 in March. The bipartisan bill—sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.)—would extend the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) through 2031 and improve funding accessibility to maximize watershed impacts. 

The CWMP, part of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program, supports communities in forming watershed groups to identify, plan, design, and implement projects that address local water needs. Originally authorized in 2009, the program is well utilized in rural communities to support watershed restoration efforts with projects located in 15 western states, Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some of the CWMP funding was awarded to watershed groups and projects that include restoration efforts to improve bird habitats, benefitting hundreds of bird species like the Yellow Warbler, Bell's Vireo, and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.

The CWMP invests in building local capacity to identify and implement projects through a phased approach. Phase I funds are awarded with no non-federal cost share to support watershed group development and planning, with a priority for awarding funds to groups that incorporate the perspectives of a diverse array of partners. Phase II funds support the implementation of on-the-ground projects developed collaboratively by the watershed group. CWMP funding is also used to help communities reduce risks of drought and wildfire, address water quality and reliability, as well as improve local economies through water management solutions that benefit agriculture, outdoor recreation, and other industries. 

The newly introduced bill extends the CWMP and includes several provisions focused on addressing barriers to accessing federal funding, including: 

• Adjusting the cap on Phase I funding for inflation;
• Streamlining the reporting process and reducing administrative burdens;
• Prioritizing funding for watershed groups that include local Tribes;
• Allowing for longer timelines to reach shovel ready project phases; and
• Increasing annual authorized funding for the program.

In our work to protect people and birds in the arid West, Audubon has led and supported multiple efforts to establish watershed groups through the CWMP. Along the Lower Gila River west of Phoenix, Audubon Southwest, in partnership with the Lower Gila River Collaborative, was awarded CWMP funding to improve ecosystem health and water management. The funding builds upon decades of work with local partners to advance coordinated restoration. Tucson Bird Alliance in Arizona is working in the Sonoita Creek Watershed southeast of Tucson, Ariz., to build on existing public and private initiatives to create sustainable solutions for the watershed. In New Mexico, CWMP was instrumental in establishing the Isleta Reach Stewardship Association, an agency and community group focused on improving the watershed health and habitat within the Isleta reach, a 48-mile span of the Rio Grande River in north central New Mexico. 

Abysmal snowpack this winter has exacerbated the extended dry conditions facing the West. However, programs like CWMP can help communities adapt to the intensifying drought. Audubon and partners recognize that sustained federal investment in the WaterSMART program and CWMP is necessary to support resilient communities, thriving ecosystems, and a sustainable water future. 

Audubon thanks the bill sponsors for introducing the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 and looks forward to working with Congress to advance this important legislation.