U.S. Senator Katie Britt Issues Statement Following Water Research Optimization Act Passing Senate Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today applauded the Senate Commerce Committee for unanimously advancing the bipartisan Water Research Optimization Act of 2025. Last month, Senators Britt and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) reintroduced this legislation to enhance hydrological forecasting within the National Weather Service.
“I continue to be grateful to Commerce Committee Chair Cruz for his work to advance critical legislation out of committee. I’m also thankful for Senator Welch’s partnership on this important bipartisan bill. The National Water Center has been instrumental to NOAA’s efforts to strengthen America’s water forecasting capabilities, improve weather-preparedness, and modernize water research technologies. The Center’s world-class capabilities truly benefit communities across our entire nation. I’m proud to champion this effort to further enhance this renowned research and applied science, and I’m committed to getting this signed into law,” said Senator Britt.
The Senators’ legislation would place our nation’s 13 River Forecast Centers under the supervision and oversight of the Office of Water Protection (OWP).
River Forecast Centers support stakeholders with hydrological data and help deliver accurate and timely data to Americans across the nation in times of severe weather. Currently, these Centers are accountable to their respective regional field offices.
“Investing in hydrology modeling and prediction is crucial to boosting flood resilience across the country, from Vermont to Alabama. That includes supporting important hydrology research and programs at the University of Vermont that improve hydrologic forecasting, such as the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology,” said Senator Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will strengthen and align current hydrology research at the National Weather Service with vital research at UVM to foster flood resilience and help communities rebuild better after natural disasters. I am thankful for the support of the Commerce Committee, and urge my colleagues to support the bill as it comes to the Senate floor.”
Additionally, the Water Research Optimization Act of 2025 would reauthorize the National Water Center (NWC) as the primary center within the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for research, development, and coordination of water related operational activities between various departments within the Federal Government. Read the full text of the bill here.
Located at the University of Alabama (UA), the NWC is the nation’s first-ever center for water forecast operations and has evolved into a revolutionary, collaborative hub between the public and private sector for research and development.
The University of Alabama (UA) has made water-related research a priority area, and has established UA and Tuscaloosa, Ala., as a national hub for water science and prediction, founding the Alabama Water Institute (AWI) in 2017. UA also houses the USGS Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility, a partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which opened in August of 2024. Additionally, UA is home to the Global Water Security Center, another arm of the national hub that works closely with the U.S. Department of Defense to analyze global factors related to water that could have future national security implications.
Another significant water research entity, a partnership between NOAA and UA within the AWI, is the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operation in Hydrology (CIROH). CIROH is a national consortium consisting of 28 different academic, government, and private institutions. Both the UA and the University of Vermont are members of CIROH. Senator Britt has previously touted UA’s water research capabilities, saying, “The hydrological research conducted at the University of Alabama is critical to our country’s national security and future.”
AWI is a supporter of the Water Research Optimization Act of 2025.
###
