Water keeps our lives flowing. We depend on clean water for drinking, food production, healthy communities, thriving businesses, and abundant wildlife. Yet freshwater systems across the United States are increasingly in crisis.
Right now, Congress is considering two key bills that can strengthen our nation's water security by investing in programs that restore rivers, lakes, wetlands, and watersheds while helping communities adapt to growing water challenges.
Ask your Members of Congress to support robust funding for critical freshwater conservation programs and to strengthen investments in the Water Resources Development Act.
This action is only open to US residents. We encourage you to personalize your message on the next page, and let Congress know why this issue is important to you.
Dear Congressmember,
As your constituent, I'm asking you to support strong investments in US water security through Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations and the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), including increased support for the Rio Grande Environmental Management Program and other critical freshwater conservation and restoration initiatives.
Freshwater ecosystems underpin the health, security, and prosperity of communities across the country, including the Rio Grande Basin and the Great Plains region. Urgent action is needed to address escalating water challenges that threaten farmers, ranchers, businesses, wildlife, and local economies. Across the Great Plains, communities are experiencing increasingly severe droughts and floods, while iconic rivers such as the Rio Grande are running dry for longer periods as water supplies become more strained.
The Rio Grande serves as a lifeline for more than 6 million Americans and supports critical wildlife habitat for species including beavers, sandhill cranes, monarch butterflies, and countless migratory birds. Yet prolonged drought, pollution, aging infrastructure, habitat degradation, and increasing water demands have left much of the river system under severe stress. Today, stretches of the river routinely run dry. These shortages threaten drinking water supplies, agricultural production, wildlife habitat, and long-term economic resilience throughout the region.
To address these challenges, please support at least $137 million for Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART programs in Fiscal Year 2027. These investments help communities improve water efficiency; respond to drought; coordinate water management among states, Tribes, local communities, and landowners; and restore critical aquatic and riparian habitat.
By supporting strong funding for voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs, farmers and ranchers would receive additional support to conserve water and improve watershed health. In addition, Congress should strengthen water security provisions in the 2026 WRDA bill by expanding support for ecosystem restoration, watershed resilience, and the Rio Grande Environmental Management Program, which provides critical federal investment to restore habitat, improve river health, enhance drought resilience, and support sustainable water management throughout the Rio Grande Basin.
The need for action has never been greater. Water shortages, declining reservoir levels, and increasing climate pressures threaten the long-term sustainability of communities and ecosystems across the Southwest and Great Plains. Reliable water supplies are essential for our public health, economic competitiveness, agricultural productivity, environmental stewardship, and national security.
Please ensure freshwater conservation and water security are priorities by supporting strong FY27 appropriations for key freshwater programs and advancing robust WRDA investments that strengthen the resilience of the Rio Grande and other vital waterways.
Thank you for your leadership and consideration.
Sincerely
[Your Name]
