The Secretary shall, in consultation with applicable non-Federal interests, conduct a national assessment of carrying out managed aquifer recharge projects to address drought, water resiliency, and aquifer depletion at authorized water resources development projects.
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall coordinate, as appropriate, with the heads of other Federal agencies, States, regional governmental agencies, units of local government, experts in managed aquifer recharge, and Tribes.
The Secretary is authorized to carry out feasibility studies, at the request of a non-Federal interest, of managed aquifer recharge projects in areas that are experiencing, or have recently experienced, prolonged drought conditions, aquifer depletion, or water supply scarcity.
The Secretary may carry out not more than 10 feasibility studies under this subsection.
The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, use information gathered from the assessment conducted under subsection (a) in identifying and selecting feasibility studies to carry out under this subsection.
Not later than 180 days after December 23, 2022, the Secretary shall establish a managed aquifer recharge working group made up of subject matter experts within the Corps of Engineers and relevant non-Federal stakeholders.
Nothing in this section affects the non-Federal share of the cost of construction of a managed aquifer recharge project under section 2213 of this title or any other provision of law.
The term “managed aquifer recharge” means the intentional banking and treatment of water in aquifers for storage and future use.
The term “managed aquifer recharge project” means a project to incorporate managed aquifer recharge features into a water resources development project.