The House Committee on Natural Resources heard testimony Wednesday on legislation aimed at giving local irrigators a stronger voice in decisions affecting their water use and the lands they depend on. H.R. 8259, the Federal Water Projects Consultation Improvement Act of 2026, was introduced April 14 in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., by Oregon Rep. Cliff Bentz. The bill seeks to improve transparency and ensure more direct input from local water users in the operation of federal water projects. “Federal agencies often make decisions without sufficient input from local communities that depend on and operate irrigation systems and water projects affected by Endangered Species Act listings,” Bentz said.