H.R. 3857
Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026
Sponsor: Jeff Hurd
2 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act of 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program of the Bureau of Reclamation. Under the existing program, Reclamation implements activities to improve snowpack measurements used for water supply forecasts in certain western states.
The bill directs Reclamation to incorporate, to the greatest extent practicable, information from technologies that provide complete integration of accurate, timely, and spatially complete snowpack measurements and models when determining water supply forecasts or allocations to federal water contractors.
Additionally, the bill requires the program's framework to emphasize the deployment of technologies that provide integration of snowpack measuring and modeling. The bill also requires the program's focus—activities that maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and integrated modeling—to place an emphasis on (1) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions, (2) real-time integration of measurement and modeling activities with water supply forecasts, (3) activities in river basins where measurements or modeling can produce snow and water supply data to inform water management decisions, and (4) building the capacity of the program partners to implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecast capabilities.
Text of the bill
Where this section came from
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Jun 10, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources, Jun 10, 2025
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Sep 15, 2025 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Natural Resources, Jul 23, 2025 Reported by House Committee on Natural Resources, Sep 15, 2025 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
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Dec 10, 2025 · Engrossed in House
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Sep 17, 2026 · Reported to Senate Marked up by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jun 10 Reported by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Sep 17 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
… 2 unchanged passages …
(A) in subparagraph (A
),
)— (i)
by striking
develop and inserting continue developing; and (ii) by striking
culminating in the report required under subsection (d)(3) and inserting with an emphasis on
development and
deployment of
more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring
technologies
that
and
provide
water
integration
supply
of
forecasting, including technologies that integrate
snowpack measuring and modeling; and (B) in subparagraph (B
),
)— (i)
by striking after submitting the report required by subsection (d)(3),;
and (ii) by inserting and to improve water supply forecasting after watersheds;
… 2 unchanged passages …
(i) in the
paragraph
heading, by
adding
inserting
with
and
integrated
water
modeling
supply forecasting
after data; (ii)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
by striking emerging technologies for snowpack measurement, such as and inserting technologies
that
for
provide
snowpack
complete
measurements
integration
and
of
methods
accurate,
to
timely
forecast water supply
,
and
including;
spatially
(iii)
complete
in
snowpack
subparagraph
measurements
(B),
and
by
models,
striking
including
and at
the
integration of
end
; and (
iii
iv
) by striking
subparagraphs
subparagraph
(
A) through (
C) and inserting the following:
[Inserted into the law:
(
A
C
)
airborne
imaging
laser altimetry
spectroscopy
; (
B
D
)
imaging
machine
spectroscopy
learning
; (
C
E
)
integrated physics-based
snowpack and hydrologic modeling; and (
D
F
) other technologies that the Secretary determines are likely to provide more accurate or timely snowpack measurement data
commensurate
or
with
analytical
operational
methods utilizing snowpack data that can improve
water
supply forecasting to inform water
management
needs
and reservoir operations
.
]
(B) in paragraph (2
)
),
by
inserting
striking
,
emerging
including
technologies
the
for
National
snowpack
Oceanic
measurement
and
Atmospheric
inserting
Administration
technologies for snowpack measurement
and
models, including
the
Natural
Department
Resources
of
Conservation
Agriculture
Service,
and
after
the
other
National
Federal
Oceanic
agencies
and Atmospheric Administration
; and
… 2 unchanged passages …
(A) in paragraph (1
),
)— (i)
by striking After submitting the report required under subsection (d)(3), the and inserting The; and
(ii) by striking in particular watersheds and inserting and water supply forecasts in particular watersheds and to explore new statistical, machine learning, or physical models to generate improved water supply forecasts utilizing snowpack data; and
… 2 unchanged passages …
(2) Focus. The program shall focus on activities that will maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and
integrated
modeling
projected water supply
, with an emphasis on—
(A) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions;
(B)
real-time integration of
activities
described
in
this section with water supply forecasts; (C) activities in
river basins where activities described in this section
can
relating
produce
to
snow
snowpack measurement
and water supply
data
forecasting
to
can
inform water management decisions
or models at a multi-water user
,
multi-basin, or multi-State scale,
including interstate water management decisions; and (
D
C
) building
the capacity of
program partners
’ capacity
to implement and adapt to the new measurement and
forecast
forecasting
capabilities enabled under
this
the
program.
… 2 unchanged passages …
(A)
in the matter preceding paragraph (1),
by striking
of
this Act and inserting
of
the Snow Water Supply Forecasting
Program
Reauthorization Act of
2025
2026
; (B) in paragraph (
1)—
2),
(i)
by striking
and
or
sub-
basins
basin
; (
ii
C
) by
redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and (D) by
striking
technologies
paragraph (1)
and inserting
the following: [Inserted into the law: (1) a list of basins for which snowpack measurement
and integrated modeling technologies
; and
are
(iii)
being
by
used
striking
under
technology
the
used
program,
and
including
inserting
a description of each
application, outcome, and data
resources
resource
used;
and
(
C
2
)
in
an
paragraph
assessment
(2),
of
by
which
striking
technologies best inform water supply forecasting for multiple water districts, communities,
or
sub-basin
States
;
(3) an assessment of forecasts generated using new technologies authorized under this Act compared against water supply forecast benchmarks from the Department of Agriculture
and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and ] ; and
… 1 unchanged passage …
What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
The Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act (43 U.S.C. 1477) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) by striking develop and inserting continue developing; and
(ii) by striking culminating in the report required under subsection (d)(3) and inserting with an emphasis on development and deployment of more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring technologies and water supply forecasting, including technologies that integrate snowpack measuring and modeling; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) by striking after submitting the report required by subsection (d)(3),; and
(ii) by inserting and to improve water supply forecasting after watersheds;
(2) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting and water supply forecasting after data;
(ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking emerging technologies for snowpack measurement, such as and inserting technologies for snowpack measurements and methods to forecast water supply, including;
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking and at the end; and
(iv) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
(C) imaging spectroscopy;
(D) machine learning;
(E) snowpack and hydrologic modeling; and
(F) other technologies that the Secretary determines are likely to provide more accurate or timely snowpack measurement data or analytical methods utilizing snowpack data that can improve water supply forecasting to inform water management and reservoir operations.
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking emerging technologies for snowpack measurement and inserting technologies for snowpack measurement and models, including the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
(C) by striking paragraph (3);
(3) in subsection (e)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking After submitting the report required under subsection (d)(3), the and inserting The; and
(ii) by striking in particular watersheds and inserting and water supply forecasts in particular watersheds and to explore new statistical, machine learning, or physical models to generate improved water supply forecasts utilizing snowpack data; and
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
(2) Focus. The program shall focus on activities that will maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and modeling projected water supply, with an emphasis on—
(A) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions;
(B) activities in river basins where activities described in this section relating to snowpack measurement and water supply forecasting can inform water management decisions or models at a multi-water user, multi-basin, or multi-State scale, including interstate water management decisions; and
(C) building the capacity of program partners to implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecasting capabilities enabled under the program.
(4) in subsection (f)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking this Act and inserting the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking or sub-basin;
(C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and
(D) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
(1) a list of basins for which snowpack measurement and integrated modeling technologies are being used under the program, including a description of each application, outcome, and data resource used;
(2) an assessment of which technologies best inform water supply forecasting for multiple water districts, communities, or States;
(3) an assessment of forecasts generated using new technologies authorized under this Act compared against water supply forecast benchmarks from the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
; and
(5) in subsection (g), by striking $15,000,000, in the aggregate, for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 and inserting $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.