Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Program (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Dec. 13, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF12414 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Charles V. Stern; Anna E. Normand |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), an agency
within the Department of the Interior (DOI), combines
funding for multiple agency-wide programs promoting
water conservation into a single program—the
WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage American Resources
for Tomorrow) program. The program was formally
established in 2010 under DOI Secretarial Order 3297. As
of 2023, WaterSMART includes funding for seven
subprograms: WaterSMART Grants, Title XVI Water
Reclamation and Reuse (Title XVI Program), the Drought
Response Program (DRP), the Basin Studies Program, the
Cooperative Watershed Management Program, Water
Conservation Field Services, and Aquatic Ecosystem
Restoration. Unlike most traditional “Reclamation
projects,” which are geographically specific authorizations,
WaterSMART funding is awarded on a competitive basis.
Congress has increased funding for WaterSMART activities
generally (Figure 1), including $1.85 billion in new
funding for selected WaterSMART subprograms over the
FY2022-FY2026 window in the Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). This included significant
new funding relative to baseline levels for WaterSMART
Grants, water reuse and recycling projects under the Title
XVI Program, the Cooperative Watershed Management
Program, and Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration. For more
information, see CRS Report R47032, Bureau of
Reclamation Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).
