House Passage of Rep. Hurd’s Snowpack Bill Marks Step Forward for Colorado Forecasting

WASHINGTON - Rep. Hurd secured a major legislative victory with House passage of the Snowpack Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3857), his second bill to advance through the chamber.

The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, reauthorizes and updates the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program to incorporate modern technologies, including LiDAR and satellite imagery, to improve the accuracy of snowpack and water-supply predictions. In Colorado’s Third District—where agriculture, recreation, and municipal water systems rely heavily on snowpack—accurate forecasting is critical for irrigation planning, drought management, and annual water allocation. The bill supports the use of advanced tools capable of producing three-dimensional models of snowpack conditions, enabling water managers to better anticipate spring runoff and make more informed decisions about water storage and distribution.

“We cannot manage what we cannot measure. Water is life in the West, and accurate data is how we manage it,” said Rep. Hurd. “Families, ranchers, and water managers across CO-03 make critical decisions every day based on snowpack forecasts—decisions that affect their livelihoods and our communities. This bill gives them better tools and more reliable information to plan with. I’m grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this commonsense legislation.”

"Mountain snowpack is a vital source of freshwater that many states across America rely upon. H.R. 3857 will increase the accuracy of snowpack measurements and allow the usage of emerging technologies," said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman. "I commend Rep. Hurd for his commitment to ensure that America has accurate information on freshwater sources."

“Today’s passage of the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act is a crucial step to improve forecasting and available data for snowpack and water supply monitoring,” said Congressman Neguse. “I’m proud to join Rep. Hurd on this bill to ensure that our communities here in Colorado have the data and resources they need to thrive.”

The Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act will now head to the Senate for consideration.

Read the full bill here.

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