Water Storage Enhancement

Section 4007 of Public Law 114-322, also known as The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act allows the Secretary of the Interior to negotiate and enter into an agreement on behalf of the United States for the design, study and construction or expansion of federally owned or State-led water storage project. The Secretary may participate in a federally owned storage project “in an amount equal to not more than 50 percent of the total cost of the federally owned storage project,” (4007(b)(2)) and may participate in a State-led storage project “in an amount equal to not more than 25 percent of the total cost of the State-led storage project” (4007(c)(1)). In return for this cost-share, “at least a proportional share of the project benefits are the Federal benefits, including water supplies dedicated to specific purposes such as environmental enhancement and wildlife refuges” (4007(c)(2)(C)). To be eligible for funding, the Secretary of the Interior must have determined the project to be feasible before January 1, 2021.