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emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (referred to 
in this section as the ‘‘National Academies’’) under which 
the National Academies shall conduct an independent 
study to— 
(1) examine the projected impact of climate 
change on the safety of Bureau of Reclamation 
dams; and 
(2) evaluate and list the Bureau of Reclamation 
dams that are most vulnerable to climate change re-
lated safety risks based on an assessment of climate 
change related impacts on— 
(A) the frequency of heavy precipitation 
events; and 
(B) other factors that influence the mag-
nitude and severity of flooding events including 
snow cover and snowmelt, vegetation, and soil 
moisture. 
(b) REPORT.—In entering into an arrangement under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall request that the Na-
tional Academies— 
(1) transmit to the Secretary and to the rel-
evant committees of Congress a report not later 
than 24 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act that includes the results of the study; and 
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(2) consider any previous studies or evaluations 
conducted or completed by the Bureau of Reclama-
tion or local water agencies on climate change im-
pacts to dams, facilities, and watersheds as a ref-
erence and source of information during the develop-
ment of the independent study. 
SEC. 81229. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION. 
The Secretary is directed to include as a priority for 
grants authorized under section 9504 of the Omnibus 
Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364), 
the Water Conservation Field Services Program, and 
other water conservation grant programs, as appropriate, 
that help foster the adoption of technologies that can— 
(1) identify losses from water conveyance facili-
ties in a non-destructive manner that— 
(A) does not disrupt the conveyance of 
water supplies; and 
(B) provides comprehensive data on pipe-
line integrity, including leak and gas pocket de-
tection, for all pipeline materials; 
(2) provide real-time monitoring of weather pat-
terns and reservoir operations to improve flexibility, 
protect natural resources, increase resiliency, main-
tain temperature control, and ensure water supply 
reliability; 
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(3) provide real-time data acquisition and anal-
ysis to improve predictive aquifer management, in-
cluding the improvement of recharge, storage, and 
stormwater management capabilities; 
(4) implement the use of real time sensors and 
forecast data to improve the management of other 
water infrastructure assets, including the identifica-
tion and prevention of impairments from inad-
equately 
treated 
agricultural 
or 
municipal 
wastewaters or stormwater; or 
(5) improve water use efficiency and conserva-
tion, including through behavioral water efficiency, 
supervisory control and data acquisition systems, or 
other system modernizations. 
CHAPTER 3—ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION 
AND RESTORATION 
SEC. 81231. WATERBIRD HABITAT CREATION PROGRAM. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF HABITAT CREATION PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary shall establish a program to 
incentivize farmers to keep fields flooded during appro-
priate time periods for the purposes of waterbird habitat 
creation and maintenance, including waterfowl and 
shorebird habitat creation and maintenance, provided 
that— 
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(1) such incentives may not exceed $3,500,000 
annually, either directly or through credits against 
other contractual payment obligations; 
(2) the holder of a water contract receiving pay-
ments under this section pass such payments 
through to farmers participating in the program, 
less reasonable contractor costs, if any; and 
(3) the Secretary determines that habitat cre-
ation activities receiving financial support under this 
section will create new habitat that is not likely to 
be created without the financial incentives provided 
under this section. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $3,500,000 
for each fiscal year through fiscal year 2026 to carry out 
this section, to remain available until expended. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than October 1, 2021, and 
every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report summarizing the environmental per-
formance of activities that are receiving, or have received, 
assistance under the program authorized by this section. 
SEC. 
81232. 
COOPERATIVE 
WATERSHED 
MANAGEMENT 
PROGRAM. 
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 
(16 U.S.C. 1015 et seq.) is amended— 
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(1) in section 6001— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(2) 
through (6) as paragraphs (3) through (7), re-
spectively; 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following: 
‘‘(2) 
DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES.—The 
term ‘disadvantaged communities’ means commu-
nities, including cities, towns, or counties, or reason-
ably isolated and divisible segments of larger munici-
palities, with an annual median household income 
that is less than 100 percent of the statewide annual 
median household income, as determined by the lat-
est available decennial census.’’; 
(C) in paragraph (6)(B)(i) (as so redesig-
nated)— 
(i) in subclause (VIII), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subclause (IX), by inserting ‘‘; 
and’’ at the end; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(X) disadvantaged communities;’’; and 
(D) in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (7) 
(as so redesignated), by inserting ‘‘, including 
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benefits to fisheries, wildlife, and habitat river 
or stream’’; and 
(2) in section 6002— 
(A) by amending subsection (b) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT
OF APPLICATION PROCESS; 
CRITERIA.—Not later than March 30, 2021, the Secretary 
shall update— 
‘‘(1) the application process for the program; 
and 
‘‘(2) 
in 
consultation 
with 
the 
States, 
prioritization and eligibility criteria for considering 
applications submitted in accordance with the appli-
cation process.’’. 
SEC. 81233. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE 
FUNDING 
OF 
WATERSHED 
HEALTH 
PROJECTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and in accordance with 
this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the heads 
of relevant agencies, shall establish a competitive grant 
program to award grants to an eligible entity for habitat 
restoration projects that improve watershed health in a 
Reclamation State and accomplish one or more of the fol-
lowing benefits: 
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(1) Ecosystem benefits. 
(2) Restoration of native species beyond exist-
ing or planned measures necessary to meet State or 
Federal laws for species recovery. 
(3) Protection against invasive species. 
(4) Restoration of aspects of the natural eco-
system. 
(5) Enhancement of commercial and rec-
reational fishing. 
(6) Enhancement of river-based recreation such 
as kayaking, canoeing, and rafting. 
(7) Mitigate against the impacts of climate 
change to fish and wildlife habitats. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In awarding a grant under 
subsection (a), the Secretary— 
(A) shall give priority to a project that 
achieves more than one of the benefits listed in 
subsection (a); and 
(B) may not provide a grant for a project 
that is for the purpose of meeting existing envi-
ronmental mitigation or compliance obligations 
under State or Federal law. 
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(2) COMPLIANCE.—A project awarded a grant 
under subsection (a) shall comply with all applicable 
Federal and State laws. 
(c) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a State, Indian 
Tribe, nonprofit conservation organization operating in a 
Reclamation State, irrigation district, water district, or 
other organization with water or power delivery authority. 
(d) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—Before the establish-
ment of the program under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall— 
(1) provide notice of and, for a period of not 
less than 90 days, an opportunity for public com-
ment on, any draft or proposed version of the pro-
gram requirements in accordance with this section; 
and 
(2) consider public comments received in devel-
oping the final program requirements. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than October 1, 2022, and 
every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report summarizing the environmental per-
formance of activities that are receiving, or have received, 
assistance under the program authorized by this section. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
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$150,000,000 for each fiscal year through fiscal year 
2026, to remain available until expended. 
SEC. 81234. SUPPORT FOR REFUGE WATER DELIVERIES. 
(a) REPORT ON HISTORIC REFUGE WATER DELIV-
ERIES.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the rel-
evant committees of Congress and make publicly available 
a report that describes the following: 
(1) Compliance with section 3406(d)(1) and 
section 3406(d)(2) of the Central Valley Project Im-
provement Act (title XXXIV of Public Law 102– 
575) in each of years 1992 through 2018, including 
an indication of the amount of water identified as 
the Level 2 amount and incremental Level 4 amount 
for each wetland area. 
(2) The difference between the mandated quan-
tity of water to be delivered to each wetland habitat 
area described in section 3406(d)(2) and the actual 
quantity of water delivered since October 30, 1992, 
including a listing of every year in which the full de-
livery of water to wetland habitat areas was achieved 
in accordance with level 4 of the ‘‘Dependable Water 
Supply 
Needs’’ 
table, 
described 
in 
section 
3406(d)(2) of the Central Valley Project Improve-
ment Act (title XXXIV of Public Law 102–575). 
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(3) Which of the authorities granted to the Sec-
retary under Public Law 102–575 to achieve the full 
level 4 deliveries of water to wetland habitat areas 
was employed in achieving the increment of water 
delivery above the Level 2 amount for each wetland 
habitat area, including whether water conservation, 
conjunctive use, water purchases, water leases, dona-
tions, water banking, or other authorized activities 
have been used and the extent to which such au-
thorities have been used. 
(4) An assessment of the degree to which the 
elimination of water transaction fees for the dona-
tion of water rights to wildlife refuges would help 
advance the goals of the Central Valley Project Im-
provement Act (title XXXIV of Public Law 102– 
575). 
(b) PRIORITY CONSTRUCTION LIST.—The Secretary 
shall establish, through a public process and in consulta-
tion with the Interagency Refuge Water Management 
Team, a priority list for the completion of the conveyance 
construction projects at the wildlife habitat areas de-
scribed in section 3406(d)(2) of the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act (title XXXIV of Public Law 102–575), 
including the Mendota Wildlife Area, Pixley National 
Wildlife Refuge and Sutter National Wildlife Refuge. 
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‘‘(B) an Indian tribal government, 
shall be treated as a taxpayer for purposes of this 
section and determining any applicable credit. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE CREDIT.—The term ‘applica-
ble credit’ means each of the following credits that 
would (without regard to this section) be determined 
with respect to the taxpayer: 
‘‘(A) A energy credit under section 48. 
‘‘(B) A renewable electricity production 
credit under section 45. 
‘‘(C) A carbon oxide sequestration credit 
under section 45Q. 
‘‘(3) INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term 
‘Indian tribal government’ shall have the meaning 
given such term by section 139E. 
‘‘(4) TIMING.—The payment described in sub-
paragraph (A) shall be treated as made on— 
‘‘(A) in the case of any government, or po-
litical subdivision, to which paragraph (1) ap-
plies and for which no return is required under 
section 6011 or 6033(a), the later of the date 
that a return would be due under section 
6033(a) if such government or subdivision were 
described in that section or the date on which 
such government or subdivision submits a claim 
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