JFAC approves $30 million ongoing to Water Management Fund; adopts related transfer and reappropriation language

The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on March 14 approved a package that includes $30,000,000 ongoing from the General Fund proposed for the Department of Water Resources’ Water Management Fund and additional enhancements and maintenance items. The package carried a motion that, together with other transfers and adjustments, totaled $31,097,700 in General Fund action and four additional full‑time equivalent positions for FY2026.

Representative Manwaring moved the FY2026 maintenance and enhancement motion that included a $716,000 transfer from the revolving development fund to the aquifer planning and management fund for monitoring, ESRI maintenance costs, Laserfiche conversion funding, replacement items, OIT hardware replacement and a $30,000,000 ongoing General Fund appropriation intended for water infrastructure projects. The committee adopted the motion on a combined roll call of 15 ayes and 5 nays (Senate: 6 ayes, 4 nays; House: 9 ayes, 1 nay).

During discussion Janet Jessup explained that under the governor’s proposal the $30,000,000 ongoing appropriation would become part of the base budget in FY2027 and that committee motions would include transfer language to move the money from the General Fund to the Water Management Fund (a continuously appropriated account) for projects chosen by the Water Resources Board. She also noted the request included reappropriation authority for ARPA and state fiscal recovery monies so that the department would have authority to pay bills as projects progress.

After the appropriation vote the committee separately considered and adopted language tied to the appropriation: (1) transfer language specifying the $30,000,000 move into the Water Management Fund, and (2) reappropriation authority for ARPA and state fiscal recovery funds. Representative Ben Wray moved the language adoption; Senator Woodward seconded. That language passed on a subsequent roll call with an 18‑1‑1 result (18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused) and will be included in the committee’s motion packet forwarded to the floor.

Other items included filing‑fee language for adjudication proceedings and additional direction describing Board District allocations for the $30,000,000 in FY2026; the committee removed a late request about “incidental recharge” until members could reconcile concerns raised earlier that morning.

Next steps: The due‑pass recommendations and the language adopted by the committee will advance to the Legislature’s floor as part of the FY2026 appropriation process. The Water Resources Board and Department of Water Resources will implement projects consistent with the transfer and reappropriation language adopted by the committee.