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Updated March 28, 2018
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2018 Appropriations
Overview
Appropriations Committee recommended $1.29 billion. The
Most of the large dams and water diversion structures in the
final enacted amount for Reclamation for FY2018 in P.L.
West were built by, or with the assistance of, the Bureau of
115-141 (enacted March 23, 2018) was $1.47 billion.
Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the Department of the
Interior. Whereas the Army Corps of Engineers built
Figure 1. Bureau of Reclamation Appropriations,
hundreds of flood control and navigation projects,
FY2013-FY2018
Reclamation’s mission was to develop water supplies,
(nominal $ in millions)
primarily for irrigation to reclaim arid lands in the West.
Today, Reclamation manages hundreds of dams and
diversion projects, including 338 storage reservoirs in 17
western states. 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.
Reclamation’s role in water resources development has
evolved over time. Reclamation’s focus has gradually
shifted from construction of new water storage projects to
operations and maintenance of existing projects, many of
which are aging. Reclamation also has been authorized to
carry out new missions and programs, including funding
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS),
Indian water supply projects as part of congressionally
based on Bureau of Reclamation budget data.
authorized Indian water rights settlements and supporting
Notes: CVPRF = Central Valley Project Restoration Fund.
rural water supply, water reuse and recycling, and
desalination efforts, among other things.
Earmarks and Reclamation
The Reclamation budget is made up largely of individual
Reclamation typically receives its appropriations through
project funding lines and contains relatively few programs.
the annual Energy and Water Development appropriations
Recently, these Reclamation projects have been subject to
bill. Reclamation’s single largest budget account, Water
earmark moratoriums that restrict the addition of funding
and Related Resources, encompasses the majority of the
for geographically specific project line items that the
agency’s programs and projects, including construction,
Administration did not request. In lieu of these additions,
operations and maintenance, dam safety, and ecosystem
Congress has included “additional funding” for selected
restoration. Many of these projects derive funding from the
categories of Reclamation projects (e.g., rural water
Reclamation Fund, a special account in the U.S. Treasury.
projects, water conservation, environmental restoration) and
(For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10042, The
directed Reclamation to report back on project-level
Reclamation Fund.) The Water and Related Resources
allocations of this funding in a work plan. Enacted
account also funds Indian water rights settlements and
appropriations for FY2017 added $112 million to the
certain programmatic authorities (e.g., Title XVI water
President’s requested budget for work in various categories.
reuse and recycling grants). In addition to the Water and
The funding was subsequently allocated at the program and
Related Resources account, Reclamation requests funds for
project levels in Reclamation’s FY2017 work plan
three smaller accounts in its annual appropriation: the
(available at http://www.usbr.gov/budget/). For FY2018,
geographically specific California Bay-Delta Restoration
Congress included $306 million in five project categories:
and Central Valley Project Restoration Fund accounts (the
rural water ($67 million); water conservation and delivery
latter of which is offset by customer receipts) and the Policy
($189 million); environmental restoration or compliance
and Administration account (which funds administrative
($40 million); fish passage and fish screens ($5 million);
expenses). Figure 1 shows recent appropriations for
and facilities operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation ($4
Reclamation.
million).
FY2018 Budget and Appropriations
Issues for Congress
The President’s budget for FY2018 proposed $1.09 billion
for the Bureau of Reclamation, $210 million less than the
WIIN Act Funding
FY2017-enacted level of $1.31 billion.
The severe drought in California from 2012 to 2016
The House-passed Energy and Water Development
increased attention on the study and construction of
appropriations bill provided $1.23 billion for all
Reclamation water storage projects in western states.
Reclamation accounts in FY2018, whereas the Senate
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2018 Appropriations
the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322), enacted in
$104 million for WaterSMART, $54 million for Title XVI,
December 2016, authorized Reclamation to provide
and $34 million for WaterSMART grants.
financial support for new or expanded federal and
nonfederal water storage projects. Enacted appropriations
Figure 2. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART
for FY2017 provided funding for this authority by
Program, FY2013-FY2018
stipulating that $67 million of the additional funding
(nominal $ in millions)
amount for water conservation and delivery go to projects
authorized under Section 4007 of the WIIN Act. In
subsequent reporting to Congress, Reclamation
recommended an initial list of seven projects to receive that
funding, and these recommendations were agreed to by
Congress in the enacted FY2018 appropriations bill. The
bill further stipulated that $134 million of the $189 million
set aside for additional water conservation and delivery
projects be provided to Section 4007 WIIN Act storage
projects. The bill also provided that $30 million of the $40
million in additional funding for environmental restoration
and compliance be provided for activities under Sections
4001 and 4010 of the WIIN Act, which relate generally to
pumping operations and environmental mitigation for the
California Central Valley Project. For additional
Source: Prepared by CRS, based on Reclamation budget data.
information on these provisions, see CRS Report R44986,
Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN)
Rural Water and Indian Water Rights Settlements
Act: Bureau of Reclamation and California Water
Provisions.
Reclamation is involved in the construction and operation
of projects that provide water supplies to rural communities
FY2018-enacted appropriations for Reclamation also
and Indian tribes. The FY2018 President’s budget requested
included WIIN-authorized funding in other selected
$46 million for six authorized rural water projects: Mni
categories. The bill provided an additional $12 million
Wiconi (South Dakota); Pick Sloan-Missouri Basin
beyond the Administration’s request for new Water
Program-Garrison Diversion Unit (North Dakota); Fort
Desalination Act research and development activities under
Peck Reservation/Dry Prairie Rural Water System
Section 4009(a) of the WIIN Act. The bill also required that
(Montana); Rocky Boy’s/North Central Rural Water
$20 million of the $34 million appropriated for the Title
System (Montana); Lewis and Clark Rural Water System
XVI water reuse/recycling in the WaterSMART program
(South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa); and Eastern New Mexico
(see below section, “WaterSMART Program”) be allocated
Water Supply (New Mexico). Some of these projects also
to projects under Section 4009(c) of the WIIN Act, which
benefit tribal areas. The enacted bill included an additional
authorized construction funding for Title XVI projects with
$67 million above the Administration’s request for these
studies carried out by nonfederal sponsors.
projects, with the surplus amount above the
Administration’s request to be allocated by Reclamation in
WaterSMART Program
a work plan (see previous section, “Earmarks and
Reclamation combines funding for multiple agency-wide
Reclamation”).
programs promoting water conservation into a single
program—the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage
Reclamation also is responsible for the construction of
American Resources for Tomorrow) program. The program
multiple water supply systems associated with authorized
is part of the Department of the Interior’s focus on water
Indian water rights settlements. For FY2018, the
conservation, reuse, and planning, and it is notable for its
Administration requested $99 million to implement four
departure from Reclamation’s traditional project-based
authorized Indian water rights settlements: Aamodt ($8
funding. In recent years, it has included funding for seven
million); Blackfeet ($10 million); Crow Tribe ($13
programs, which are shown in Figure 2. Of these seven
million); and Navajo-Gallup Water Supply ($68 million).
programs, the largest are WaterSMART grants (which fund
The Blackfeet funding represented the first funding request
water and energy efficiency projects) and Title XVI
for that settlement. In the enacted bill for FY2018,
projects (which fund water recycling and reuse projects).
Congress agreed with the proposed funding levels. For
more information on these settlements, see CRS Report
For FY2018, the Administration requested $59 million for
R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements.
the WaterSMART program, a decrease of $14.5 million
from the FY2017-enacted level. The two largest
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
WaterSMART programs, Title XVI and WaterSMART
IF10692
grants, were requested to receive $22 million and $23
million, respectively. The FY2018-enacted bill included
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2018 Appropriations
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
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reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
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