A single sprawling session examining 21 bills that collectively touch nearly every dimension of Western water policy, hydropower regulation, tribal water infrastructure, and drought resilience is the focus of The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's Water and Power Subcommittee is scheduled to convene on March 17, 2026. Chaired by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) as ranking member, the subcommittee will take up legislation spanning rural water supply feasibility studies in the Dakotas, large-scale water recycling reauthorization in the West, hydropower licensing transparency at FERC, endangered fish conservation on the Yellowstone River, and a selective water withdrawal study at Glen Canyon Dam — among others.
The sheer volume of bills on the docket signals that the subcommittee is attempting to move a backlog of water and energy legislation that has piled up since the start of the Congress.
At least nine of the 21 bills under consideration were introduced by sitting members of the committee itself — giving the hearing the character of a members' showcase as much as a policy review. That level of internal sponsorship helps explain why the subcommittee is devoting a full hearing to this package rather than letting the bills languish.
Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) sponsors two bills on the docket: the Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act (S. 3409), which would reaffirm Bureau of Reclamation ownership of the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, and the Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization Act (S. 3635), continuing federal support for rural water infrastructure on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) also brings two: the GROW SMART Act (S. 3737), aimed at voluntary water partnership agreements for agricultural users, and the MORE WATER Act (S. 3738), which would reauthorize large-scale water recycling and establish a new Water Conveyance Improvement Program.
Other committee members with bills on the docket include Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), who sponsors both the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act (S. 3500) and the Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act (S. 3693); Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) with the Water Security and Drought Resilience Act (S. 3732); Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) with a Glen Canyon Dam feasibility study bill (S. 3743); and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) with the Water Project Navigators Act (S. 3792).
All 21 bills remain in "Introduced" status, making this hearing a critical gating event for any of them to advance.
Hearing Preview: What Members Are Saying Ahead of the Session
Public communications from committee members in the weeks leading up to the hearing show active messaging on the bills under consideration.
Sen. Padilla issued a communication on February 4, 2026, directly referencing the MORE WATER Act and GROW SMART Act and discussing water recycling projects, water conveyance, and habitat restoration. He also released a separate statement the same day referencing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's legislative agenda.
Sen. Hickenlooper put out a communication on February 6 specifically promoting the Water Project Navigators Act, describing its purpose of establishing grant navigator positions to help states, water districts, and tribal communities. He followed up on February 14 with a statement on water infrastructure funding negotiations.
Sen. Daines issued a communication on February 9 discussing Montana's energy portfolio, including hydropower — relevant to several bills on the docket addressing FERC relicensing and water power R&D.
Sen. Cortez Masto released a water and energy policy statement on February 13, and Sen. Mike Lee put out a communication on February 5 referencing the Utah Rural Water Association, aligning with the hearing's rural water supply themes.
The Lobbying Landscape Behind the Bills
Lobbying disclosure records filed with members of Congress over the past year show a diverse coalition of water districts, energy companies, tribal entities, and environmental groups pressing their cases on Capitol Hill.
Hydropower and FERC reform drew some of the most sustained lobbying attention. The National Hydropower Association filed quarterly disclosures referencing S. 3500 (Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act) and S. 3518 (FLOWS Act), reporting approximately $110,000 per quarter in lobbying expenditures through 2025. Lock + Hydro Friends Fund XLII LLC also lobbied on S. 3500, spending $20,000 per quarter before filing a termination report.
Water recycling and reuse attracted lobbying from California-based organizations. The California Department of Water Resources filed disclosures referencing the MORE WATER Act (S. 3738) across three consecutive quarters. The Inland Empire Utilities Agency lobbied on the Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization Act (S. 3693) at $20,000 per quarter.
Rural water systems in the Dakotas generated consistent lobbying activity from the entities that stand to benefit directly. The Lewis and Clark Regional Water System spent $30,000 per quarter lobbying on S. 3725, the feasibility study bill for expanding its service area across Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. WEB Water Development Association spent $15,000 per quarter on S. 3723, the Western South Dakota water supply study.
Tribal interests were represented by the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation, which filed lobbying disclosures on S. 3635 (Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization) across multiple quarters.
On the Southwestern Power Administration front, the Southwestern Power Resources Association filed consistent $10,000-per-quarter lobbying reports on S. 1034, joined by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which reported lobbying on the same bill while spending roughly $315,000–$324,000 per quarter across its full lobbying portfolio.
Colorado River stakeholders focused on the Glen Canyon Dam bill (S. 3743), with the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association and the Irrigation and Electrical Districts Association of Arizona both filing disclosures.
What's at Stake for the Public
The practical implications of this hearing stretch across multiple states and communities. Rural water systems in the Dakotas, Montana, Iowa, and Minnesota depend on the feasibility studies and reauthorizations under consideration. Western states facing chronic drought — Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado — have direct stakes in the water recycling, storage, and drought resilience bills.
Hydropower operators and the communities they serve are watching the FERC transparency and licensing reform bills closely, as the current relicensing process can stretch for years. And tribal communities on the Fort Peck Reservation and elsewhere are looking to this hearing as a step toward securing long-overdue water infrastructure investments.
Whether any of these 21 bills advance beyond this hearing will depend on the bipartisan dynamics within the committee. Several bills already have cross-party cosponsors — S. 3725 (Lewis & Clark water system) has three Republican and two Democratic cosponsors, the broadest bipartisan support of any bill on the docket. That kind of alignment could signal which measures have the best shot at moving forward.
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