WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (AZ-04) celebrated the final passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 out of the House of Representatives. As the only Arizona member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Stanton helped shape the bipartisan legislation to authorize critical water infrastructure projects in Arizona and across the Southwest through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The bill is now headed to the Senate.
Stanton spoke on the House floor ahead of passage, saying, “My home state of Arizona has faced more than a quarter century of drought. Water stewardship and conservation are core parts of our culture.” He continued, “These federal investments are mission-critical to help us ensure reliable water services for our residents and businesses.”
To address water and wastewater infrastructure needs across Arizona, Stanton secured several Arizona wins in the final bill, including:
- Arizona Environmental Infrastructure Authority. Adds $151,598,000 to Stanton’s signature Arizona Environmental Infrastructure Authority (AZEI), bringing the program’s total authorization to $401 million. Stanton created the program during his first term to help small, rural, and Tribal communities fund critical water infrastructure projects. Since 2020, it has funded more than 30 water conservation and reuse projects across Arizona, including water lines, wells, wastewater systems and aquifer recharge projects—helping communities get the most out of every drop of water.
- Prioritizing Tribal Water Rights. Secures $10 million for the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) to support water infrastructure projects that will affirm historic water rights and support water conservation efforts through new diversion dam and canal projects.
- Tribal Partnership Project Completion. Directs the USACE to expedite the completion of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project with the Gila River Indian Community, a first-of-its-kind tribal partnership with the Los Angeles District of USACE. When completed, 962 feet of solar panels above the GRIC’s irrigation canals will provide the Community with a steady source of renewable energy while conserving water.
- Tres Rios Completion. Directs the USACE to expedite the completion of the Tres Rios ecosystem restoration project in Phoenix, which will restore and revitalize several miles of the Salt and Gila River corridors. Tres Rios is part of Rio Reimagined, an ongoing effort along the Rio Salado that was spearheaded by the late Sen. John McCain and Rep. Ed Pastor. More than $100 million in federal funding has already been invested in the project, but construction stalled after reaching its federal authorization limit. Stanton secured $1.8 million in federal funding in 2022 to complete the necessary work to adjust that limit and move the project toward completion.
- Office of Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resilience. Creates a new office at the USACE that specializes in conservation to work directly with local communities facing severe drought and shore up water supplies.
- Studies and Projects on Drought Resiliency. Creates a new Continuing Authority Program that allows the USACE to work with communities on small-scale drought resilience studies and projects, like addressing invasive salt cedar or constructing water storage projects.
- Disaster Debris Removal. Revises the USACE emergency debris removal contracts following floods to minimize harmful impacts to private property, key habitats, and wildlife. This will help Arizona communities recovering from floods to rebuild safely and quickly.
- Water Storage Capacity Pilot Program. Directs the USACE to establish a pilot program to allow states to remove sediment from Corps-owned reservoirs to restore storage capacity.
- Expedites Dozens of Arizona Projects. Directs the USACE to expedite 28 additional Arizona-specific projects and studies across the state, including flood control, water and wastewater infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration projects. These projects include the Ak-Chin Levee in Pinal County, the McCormick Wash in Globe, the Cave Buttes Dam, the Corazon de los Tres Rios del Norte plan in Pima County, the Winslow Levee, and Rio de Flag flood control project in Flagstaff.
A section-by-section HERE.
A ‘by the numbers’ HERE.