Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026

This bill rewrites parts of the federal Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, which funds local flood prevention, water, and land conservation projects. It expands which local groups can sponsor projects, including nonprofit organizations, irrigation groups, and Indian Tribes, and defines "multibenefit" projects that provide two or more public benefits such as better water quality or fish habitat. It requires the Secretary of Agriculture to approve or reject project applications within 45 days, to spend at least half of the program's yearly funds on multibenefit projects, and to publish program data online. It also raises the maximum loan amount from $5 million to $10 million and counts funds from other federal agencies as part of the local share of project costs.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Michael F. Bennet Democrat sponsor
• 2 cosponsors