Bureau of Reclamation: FY2019 Appropriations (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised March 27, 2019 |
| Report Number |
IF10841 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Charles V. Stern |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Most of the large dams and water diversion structures in the
17 states west of the Mississippi River were built by, or
with the assistance of, the Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), part of the Department of the Interior.
Reclamation’s original mission was to develop water
supplies, primarily for irrigation to reclaim arid lands in the
West. Today, its mission includes management,
development, and protection of water and related resources.
Reclamation’s mission areas and geographic scope are
generally narrower than the other principal federal water
resource agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Today, Reclamation manages hundreds of dams and
diversion projects in the 17 western states. These projects
provide water to approximately 10 million acres of
farmland and 31 million people. Reclamation is the largest
wholesale supplier of water in these 17 western states and
the second-largest hydroelectric power producer in the
nation. Operations of Reclamation facilities can be
controversial, particularly in relation to how they affect fish
and wildlife species and lead to conflicts among competing
water users.
