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Updated October 18, 2019
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2020 Appropriations
Overview
request and the most recent House and Senate
Most of the large dams and water diversion structures in the
Appropriations Committee recommendations.
17 states west of the Mississippi River were built by, or
with the assistance of, the Bureau of Reclamation
Figure 1. Reclamation Appropriations by Account,
(Reclamation), part of the Department of the Interior.
FY2013-FY2020 Senate Appropriations Committee
Reclamation’s original mission was to develop water
Recommendation
supplies, primarily for irrigation to reclaim arid lands in the
(nominal $ in millions)
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 those of the other principal federal
water resource agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Reclamation manages hundreds of water storage and
conveyance projects. 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 effects on fish and wildlife species and conflicts
among competing water users.
Reclamation’s role has evolved, and its focus has gradually
shifted from construction of new water storage projects to
Source: CRS, based on Reclamation budget request and enacted
operation and maintenance of existing projects.
appropriations data.
Reclamation has also expanded into new areas, including
Notes: Does not reflect offsetting receipts for the Central Valley
funding for water supply projects on tribal lands and in
Project Restoration Fund (CVPRF). * Reflects transfer of $21.4
rural areas under congressionally authorized Indian water
million in Western Area Power Administration revenues for
rights settlements and rural water supply projects,
Reclamation expenditure on Upper Colorado River Basin Fund
respectively. Congress has also authorized Reclamation
activities.
grants to nonfederal projects, including those for water
reuse and recycling, conservation and efficiency, and
Earmarks and Reclamation
desalination.
The Water and Related Resources account is made up
largely of individual project funding lines. These projects
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account funds
have been subject to recent earmark moratoriums that
most agency activities, including construction, operation
restrict the addition of funding for geographically specific
and maintenance, dam safety, and ecosystem restoration. It
project line-items that the Administration did not request. In
also funds Indian water rights settlements and most
lieu of these additions, since FY2014 Congress has
Reclamation programmatic and grant authorities.
included additional funding in appropriations bills beyond
Reclamation also typically requests funding for three
the President’s budget request for selected categories of
smaller accounts: California Bay-Delta Restoration, the
Reclamation projects. These funds are typically allocated in
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (the latter of which
work plans produced by the Administration and made
is offset by customer receipts), and the Policy and
available several months after appropriations bills have
Administration account.
been enacted (these plans are available at
http://www.usbr.gov/budget/).
FY2020 Budget
The President’s budget request for FY2020 proposed $1.11
Recent enacted appropriations bills continued the practice
billion in gross current authority for Reclamation. The
of providing additional funds to be allocated in a work plan.
House recommended $1.63 billion for Reclamation, and the
FY2019 enacted appropriations for Reclamation provided
Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $1.73
$387 million for projects in five categories. For FY2020,
billion. Figure 1 shows recent appropriations levels for
the House recommendation and the Senate Appropriations
Reclamation compared to the FY2020 President’s budget
Committee recommendation proposed $401 million and
$467 million, respectively, in additional funds. These funds
would be provided to projects across five categories: rural
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2020 Appropriations
water; water conservation and delivery; environmental
Water Storage Projects: Section 4007 of the Water
restoration or compliance; and facilities operation,
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.
maintenance, and rehabilitation (Figure 2).
WaterSMART Program
Figure 2. Reclamation Additional Funding,
Reclamation combines funding for multiple programs
FY2014-FY2020 Senate Committee Recommendation
promoting water conservation into a single program—
(nominal $ in millions)
WaterSMART. WaterSMART is notable for its departure
from Reclamation’s traditional federal project-based
funding. In recent years, WaterSMART has included
funding for seven programs. The largest sub-programs in
the initiative are WaterSMART grants (i.e., water and
related energy efficiency projects) and Title XVI projects
(i.e., water recycling and reuse projects).
For FY2020, the Administration requested a total of $20
million for the WaterSMART program, or $93 million
below the FY2019 enacted level of $113 million. The
FY2020 House and Senate Appropriations Committee
recommendations for these projects were both
approximately $144 million (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Reclamation WaterSMART Program,
FY2013-FY2020 Senate Committee Recommendation
(nominal $ in millions)
Source: CRS, based on Reclamation appropriations data.
Reclamation Appropriations Issues
WIIN Act Section 4007 Funding
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322) authorized
Reclamation to study and construct new or expanded
federal and nonfederal water storage projects. In order for
projects to receive funding, they must be found feasible by
Reclamation, have a cost-sharing partner, and be named in
enacted appropriations legislation by Congress, among
other things. In 2018 reporting, Reclamation initially
recommended seven projects to receive $35 million in
FY2017 funding; Congress agreed to these
recommendations in enacted FY2018 appropriations. In
February 2019, Reclamation recommended another round
of projects to receive $75 million in FY2017 and FY2018
Source: CRS, based on Reclamation budget request and
funds: Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement ($57.0
appropriations data.
million); Cle Elum Pool Raise ($4.0 million); Boise River
Basin Feasibility Study ($1.75 million); Del Puerto Water
Rural Water Supply and Indian Water Rights
District Feasibility Study ($1.50 million); Los Vaqueros
Settlements (IWRS)
Phase 2 Feasibility Study ($2.15 million); Sites Reservoir
Reclamation is authorized to build projects that provide
Feasibility Study ($6.0 million); and Friant-Kern
water supplies to rural communities and Indian tribes. The
Subsidence Correction Feasibility Study ($2.35 million). As
FY2020 President’s budget requested $28 million for five
with the 2018 list, these projects must be named in enacted
authorized rural water projects, or $105 million less than
appropriations legislation. The House and Senate-
the FY2019 enacted level. The House recommended $149
Appropriations recommended bills for FY2020 agreed with
million for these projects, while the Senate Appropriations
all of the Administration’s recommendations, with the
Committee recommended $153 million. Much of these
exception of funding for the Shasta Dam Raise Project.
funding amounts would be provided to Reclamation as
“additional funding” amounts (see previous section,
Congress also appropriated an additional $134 million for
“Earmarks and Reclamation”). For IWRS, the FY2020
Section 4007 projects in FY2019. This funding has yet to
President’s budget requested $100 million in construction
be recommended in the required project level allocations by
funds to implement four authorized Indian water rights
the Administration. For FY2020, the House
settlements, or $8 million less than the FY2019 enacted
recommendation contained an additional $67 million for
amount. The House and Senate Appropriations Committee
these projects, and the Senate Appropriations Committee
both agreed with this funding in their FY2020
recommended bill included $134 million. For more
recommendations. For more information, see CRS Report
information, see CRS In Focus IF10626, Reclamation
R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2020 Appropriations
IF11158
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Disclaimer
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