A summary of the budget process for the Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP) is provided below for the three most recent fiscal years.
Supplementing each summary, a more detailed reference document for the Water Resources Mission Area (WMA) showing the reports released with each congressional mark, links to the USGS and WMA President’s Budget Request, and associated details is also provided.
Fiscal Year 2020
Final Enacted Bill
On December 20, 2019, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94) was enacted. The bill funded the WMA at \$234.1 million, including \$47.5 million for the WAUSP. Within this amount, the bill included an increase of \$2.0 million for the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) Aquifer Assessment and \$0.2 million to Cooperative Matching Funds. In addition, Research and Development activities to Advance Water Science were reduced by \$0.2 million.
A table summarizing the 2019 Enacted, 2020 President’s Budget Request, and 2020 changes proposed in House and Senate Marks, then enacted in the final bill, is provided below.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| Mission Area / Program / Activity (dollars in thousands) |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
President's Budget (PB) Request |
Budget Changes from 2019 Enacted |
Proposed House Mark Changes from 2019 Enacted | Proposed Senate Mark Changes from 2019 Enacted | Enacted Changes from 2019 Enacted |
| Water Resources: Water Availability and Use Science Program | |||||||
| – Fixed Costs/Other Base Activities | [0] | [0] | [171] | +171 | +171 | -1,000 | 0 |
| – Mississippi River Alluvial Plain (MAP) Aquifer Assessment | [4,000] | [4,000] | [1,203] | -2,797 | -2,797 | +2,000 | +2,000 |
| - Groundwater Hydrologic Studies of Fully Appropriated Western Basins | [0] | [0] | [0] | [0] | 0 | +1,500 | 0 |
| – U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment (TAAP) | [1,000] | [1,000] | [0] | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Water Use Data and Research (WUDR) | [1,500] | [1,500] | [0] | -1,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Focus Area Studies | [1,600] | [0] | [1,600] | +1,600 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Water Use Unconventional Oil and Gas | [250] | [250] | [0] | -250 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Research and Development to Advance Water Science (formerly National Research Program) | [6,886] | [6,886] | [2,561] | -4,325 | 0 | 0 | -201 |
| Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | [12,397] | [13,397] | [11,397] | -2,000 | 0 | 0 | +201 |
| - Base CMF | [10,397] | [10,397] | [10,397] | 0 | 0 | 0 | +201 |
| – Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) (includes CMF and Non-CMF activities)* | [0] | [1,035] | [0] | -1,035 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| - Water Use Research (CMF) | [2,000] | [2,000] | [1,000] | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Water Availability and Use Science Program | 46,052 | 45,487 | 35,351 | -10,136 | -2,626 | +2,500 | +2,000 |
| Total Water Resources (includes all Water Resources programs) | 217,554 | 226,308 | 179,922 | -46,386 | +13,609 | +2,500 | +7,812 |
| USGS TOTAL (includes all USGS programs) | 1,148,457 | 1,106,596 | 983,467 | -177,129 | +75,802 | +49,005 | +110,361 |
*$35K of IWAAs increase in the 2019 Enacted is Non-CMF funding.
For more information on the entire 2019 budget process for the WMA, please use this reference document.
Fiscal Year 2019
Final Enacted Bill
On February 15, 2019, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6) was enacted. The bill funded the WMA at \$226.3 million, including \$45.5 million for the WAUSP. Within this amount, the bill included a \$1.0 million increase to Cooperative Matching Funds for Integrated Water Availability Assessments. In addition, a \$1.6 million reduction was accepted for Focus Area Studies.
A table summarizing the 2018 Enacted, 2019 President’s Budget Request, and 2019 changes proposed in House and Senate Marks, then enacted in the final bill, is provided below.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |||||
| Mission Area / Program / Activity (dollars in thousands) |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
President's Budget (PB) Request |
Budget Changes from 2018 Enacted |
Proposed House Mark Changes from 2018 Enacted | Proposed Senate Mark Changes from 2018 Enacted | Enacted Changes from 2018 Enacted |
| Water Resources: Water Availability and Use Science Program | |||||||
| – Fixed Costs, Administrative Savings, and Other Adjustments | [0] | [0] | [-368] | -368 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Mississippi River Alluvial Plain (MAP) Aquifer Assessment | [3,000] | [4,000] | [0] | -4,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment (TAAP) | [1,000] | [1,000] | [0] | -1,000 | -1,000 | 0 | 0 |
| – Water Use Data and Research (WUDR) | [1,500] | [1,500] | [0] | -1,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Focus Area Studies | [1,600] | [1,600] | [0] | -1,600 | 0 | 0 | -1,600 |
| – Regional Groundwater Evaluations | [2,272] | [2,272] | [1,483] | -789 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Water Use Unconventional Oil and Gas | [250] | [250] | [0] | -250 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Groundwater Model Development, Maintenance, and Sustainability | [1,095] | [1,095] | [226] | -869 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Research and Development to Advance Water Science (formerly National Research Program) | [6,886] | [6,886] | [2,561] | -4,325 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | [12,397] | [12,397] | [11,397] | -1,000 | +1,250 | 0 | +1,000 |
| – Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) (includes CMF and Non-CMF activities)* | [0] | [0] | [0] | 0 | +1,250 | 0 | +1,035 |
| - Water Use Research (CMF) | [2,000] | [2,000] | [1,000] | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Water Availability and Use Science Program | 45,052 | 46,052 | 30,351 | -15,701 | +250 | 0 | -565 |
| Total Water Resources (includes all Water Resources programs) | 214,754 | 217,554 | 164,922 | -52,632 | +13,569 | +2,500 | +8,754 |
| USGS TOTAL (includes all USGS programs) | 1,085,167 | 1,148,457 | 859,680 | -288,777 | +24,633 | -500 | +12,139 |
*$35K of IWAAs increase in the 2019 Enacted is Non-CMF funding.
For more information on the entire 2019 budget process for the WMA, please use this reference document.
Fiscal Year 2018
Final Enacted Bill
On March 23, 2018, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) was enacted. The bill funded the WMA at \$217.6 million, including \$46.1 million for the WAUSP. Within this amount, the bill included a \$1.0 million increase for groundwater resource studies in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain.
A table summarizing the 2017 Enacted, the 2018 President’s Budget Request, and the 2018 changes proposed in House and Senate Marks, then enacted in the final bill, is provided below.
| 2017 | 2018 | |||||
| Mission Area / Program / Activity (dollars in thousands) |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
President's Budget (PB) Request |
Budget Changes from 2017 Enacted |
Proposed House Mark Changes from 2017 Enacted | Proposed Senate Mark Changes from 2017 Enacted | Enacted Changes from 2017 Enacted |
| Water Resources: Water Availability and Use Science Program | ||||||
| – Fixed Costs, Administrative Savings, and Other Adjustments | [0] | (80) | -80 | 0 | -686 | 0 |
| – Mississippi River Alluvial Plain (MAP) Aquifer Assessment | [3,000] | 0 | -3,000 | -2,000 | +1,148 | +1,000 |
| – U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment (TAAP) | [1,000] | [0] | -1,000 | -1,000 | 0 | 0 |
| – Water Use Data and Research (WUDR) | [1,500] | [0] | -1,500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Focus Area Studies | [1,600] | [0] | -1,600 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Regional Groundwater Evaluations | [2,272] | 1,483 | -789 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| - Water Use Research (CMF) | [1,000] | 0 | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Water Use Unconventional Oil and Gas | [250] | [0] | -250 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Groundwater Model Development, Maintenance, and Sustainability | [1,095] | 0 | -1,095 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Research and Development to Advance Water Science (formerly National Research Program) | [6,886] | 2,561 | -4,325 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | [12,397] | 11,397 | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| - Water Use Research (CMF) | [2,000] | 1,000 | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Water Availability and Use Science Program | 45,052 | 30,413 | -14,639 | -3,000 | +462 | +1,000 |
| Total Water Resources (includes all Water Resources programs) | 214,754 | 173,042 | -41,712 | -4,000 | -1,565 | +2,800 |
| USGS TOTAL (includes all USGS programs) | 1,085,167 | 922,168 | -162,999 | -46,245 | 0 | +63,290 |
For more information on the entire 2018 budget process for the WMA, please use this reference document.
Funding History
Below, a five-year funding history has been provided for the major WAUSP activities:
- National Water Availability and Use (includes groundwater and surface water model development and research supporting estimates and measurement of water availability and use)
- Regional Water Availability and Use (includes groundwater availability studies, and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer assessments)
- National Water Census
For more information on these WAUSP activities, please use the links provided above.
| WAUSP Funding (dollars in millions) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| TOTAL WAUSP Funding | 42.1 | 45.1 | 46.1 | 45.5 | 47.5 |
| National Water Availability and Use | 17.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 17.3 |
| Regional Water Availability and Use | 12.6 | 14.6 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 18.8 |
| National Water Census | 12.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 11.4 | 11.4 |