Hoeven Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Funding Authorizations for Water Supply Projects in North Dakota

Hoeven Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Funding Authorizations for Water Supply Projects in North Dakota

Senator's Bipartisan Bill Would Support Projects Like ENDAWS, NAWS

WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven this week reintroduced his bipartisan legislation to support more reliable, drought-resistant water supplies in North Dakota, while helping to fulfill federal compensation that was promised to the state and tribes upon the construction of the Garrison Dam and Oahe Dam. Specifically, Hoeven's bill would:

• Amend the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) to increase authorizations under the Municipal, Rural, and Industrial (MR&I) water supply grant program for North Dakota and the five Tribal Nations in the state.
  • North Dakota reached the state MR&I authorization ceiling at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2024.
  • An increase is necessary to complete ongoing water supply projects, including the Northwest Area Water Supply Project (NAWS) and the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project (ENDAWS).
• Ensure that biota water treatment (BWT) costs are fully accounted for, which are rightly the responsibility of the federal government.
  • Although the DWRA authorized funding for non-reimbursable costs related to BWT facilities, no authorization ceiling was outlined.
  • As a result, North Dakota and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) have been forced to allocate significant MR&I resources to cover federal responsibilities under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.

Hoeven previously secured the bill's approval by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the 118th Congress, putting the legislation in a strong position to advance in the current Congress. The bill comes as part of Hoeven's ongoing efforts to fully fund ENDAWS, which uses existing federal infrastructure to save North Dakota taxpayers $200 million in construction costs and $4 million in annual operating costs for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project. Earlier this year, Hoeven secured $50 million and authorization for ENDAWS in the FY2026 appropriations legislation, and he continues his efforts to advance additional funding for the project from a BOR water account he worked to shape and include in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

"When the Garrison and Oahe dams were built, North Dakota lost 550,000 acres of prime farmland, but the amounts originally authorized under the Dakota Water Resources Act of 2000 were insufficient to compensate our state for this loss. As we work to fund water supply projects like ENDAWS, our legislation would correct this shortfall, ensure North Dakota receives the federal support it is owed and help advance more resilient, drought-tolerant water supplies for communities across our state," said Senator Hoeven.

Hoeven's legislation is cosponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). Representative Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.) will introduce a companion to the bill in the House of Representatives.

"This legislation is critical for ensuring reliable water supplies for North Dakota's communities and Tribal Nations. The FY2026 Energy and Water appropriations bill included some funding for the Eastern North Dakota Water Supplies Project (ENDAWS). We need to increase existing funding authorizations to further support ENDAWS and other critical water infrastructure projects across the state. I look forward to passing these amendments and ensuring the federal government fulfills this obligation it owes to North Dakota for damming the Missouri River," said Senator Cramer.

"North Dakota was promised more than a million acres of irrigation as part of the Pick-Sloan project, yet that promise was never fully realized," Representative Fedorchak said. "The Dakota Water Resources Act Amendments move us closer to fulfilling that commitment by strengthening water systems for our communities and Tribal Nations and making sure the federal government follows through on its commitments to our state."

The full text and a summary of Hoeven's legislation can be found here and here, respectively.

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