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119-s-1523119th CongressWALLET

Water Research Optimization Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

In Committee

Summary

Centralize water forecasting at NOAA's Office of Water Prediction. This bill would reorganize NOAA so the Office of Water Prediction becomes the central hub for water research, forecasting, and cross-agency coordination, and it would require hydrological models to be incorporated into NOAA's unified forecast system.

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  • Families and communities would get more consistent and integrated flood and water forecasts, improving safety and planning from local to national scales.
  • Emergency managers and federal partners would see stronger coordination because the Office must work with USDA, the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, USGS, and FEMA to align forecast operations and service delivery.
  • NOAA operations and researchers would be reorganized under the Office director, with River Forecast Centers aligned to the National Water Center, Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology activities coordinated, and advanced water modeling required to run on NOAA's Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System or its successor. The bill also extends the relevant fiscal-year coverage through 2026 through 2030.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More coordinated national water forecasts

This bill would make the National Water Center the main NOAA hub for water research and forecasts. It would place the Center inside the Office of Water Prediction at the National Weather Service. The Under Secretary, acting through the Office of Water Prediction Director, would run Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology duties and coordinate River Forecast Centers with the National Water Center. The bill would require using the Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System, or its successor, to build advanced water models and add them to NOAA's unified forecast system. It would also extend subsection (d)(4) to cover fiscal years 2026 through 2030. If enacted, these changes would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]

AL • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

    VT • D

    Sponsored 4/30/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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