On Tuesday, Sen. Katie Britt introduced bipartisan legislation that would place the National Weather Service's 13 river forecast centers under the management of the University of Alabama's National Water Center (NWC), the nation's first operational water forecasting center.

The River Forecast Centre provides hydrological data and important weather-related forecasts and warnings. Currently, the centre is managed by the regional office.

The bill codifies the authority of the NWC, under the jurisdiction of the Water Conservation Service, to lead the transition of national water resources research.

“The National Water Center [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s] “This bill is part of our efforts to strengthen America's water forecasting capabilities, improve weather preparedness, and modernize water technology,” Britt said. “I am proud of the center's world-class capabilities, and I have no doubt this bill will further strengthen the important research and applied science that benefits the entire nation.”

Britt thanked Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch for helping introduce the bill.

Welch explained that future investments in hydrology modeling and forecasting are “critically important” across the country, “from Vermont to Alabama.”

“The bipartisan Water Research Optimization Act of 2024 will strengthen the National Weather Service’s current hydrology research and align it with critical research. [the University of Vermont] “To increase flood resilience and help communities build back better after natural disasters,” Welch said.

Austin Shipley is a staff writer for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on X. @ShipleyAusten.