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Updated September 3, 2021
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 Appropriations
Overview
Figure 1. Reclamation Appropriations: FY2014-
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the
FY2022
Department of the Interior, is responsible for construction
(nominal $ in millions)
and operation of hundreds of large dams and water
diversion structures in the 17 coterminous 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 17 western states and
the second-largest hydroelectric power producer in the
nation. Reclamation’s mission areas and geographic scope
are narrower than the other principal federal water resource
agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Reclamation’s role has evolved, and its focus gradually has
shifted from construction of new water storage projects to
operation and maintenance of existing projects.
Reclamation also has expanded into new areas, including
funding for water supply projects on tribal lands and in
rural areas under congressionally authorized Indian water
rights settlements and rural water supply projects,
respectively. In addition, Congress has authorized
Reclamation grants to nonfederal projects, including those
for water reuse and recycling, conservation and efficiency,
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on FY2014-
and desalination.
FY2021 enacted appropriations, and FY2022 budget request and
Appropriations Committee data.
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account funds
Notes: Does not reflect offsetting receipts for the Central Valley
most agency activities, including construction, operation
Project Restoration Fund.
and maintenance, dam safety, ecosystem restoration, Indian
water rights settlements, and most programmatic and grant
Earmarks and Reclamation
authorities. Reclamation typically also requests funding for
The Water and Related Resources account consists largely
three smaller accounts: California Bay-Delta Restoration,
of individual project funding lines. During the 112th-116th
the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (which is offset
Congresses, Reclamation appropriations were subject to
by customer receipts), and Policy and Administration.
general earmark moratoriums that restricted Congress from
FY2022 Budget Request and
funding geographically specific project line items not
Appropriations Action
requested by the Administration. In lieu of these additions,
Congress included “additional funding” amounts for
The Administration request is commonly less than the final
selected categories of Reclamation projects, typically in
enacted total for Reclamation. For FY2022, President Biden
five categories: Rural Water, Water Conservation &
requested $1.53 billion in gross current authority (i.e.,
Delivery, Environmental Restoration and Compliance, Fish
appropriations before offsets) for Reclamation. H.R. 4502
Passage/Fish Screens, and Facilities Maintenance and
(Division C), the House-passed appropriations bill for
Rehabilitation. The Administration recommends allocations
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies,
of these funds for specific projects in work plans made
recommended $1.95 billion for Reclamation. S. 2605, as
available several months after Congress enacts
reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee, included
appropriations bills. (Work plans are available at
$1.99 billion for Reclamation. Figure 1 shows recent
http://www.usbr.gov/budget/.)
enacted appropriations levels for Reclamation’s Water and
Related Resources Account, as well as its other smaller
For FY2022 appropriations, H.R. 4502 and S. 2605
accounts, compared with the FY2022 Administration
proposed the first “earmarks” in Energy and Water
requested, House-passed, and Senate committee-reported
appropriations since the 111th Congress. The bills also
levels.
would fund the aforementioned additional funding
categories, albeit at lower levels than in recent years
(Figure 2).
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 Appropriations
Figure 2. Reclamation Additional Funds and
recycling and reuse projects). For FY2022, the Biden
Earmarks, FY2014-FY2022
Administration requested $54 million for the WaterSMART
(nominal $ in millions)
program. Both H.R. 4502 and S. 2605 included funding in
addition to the President’s request, such as major increases
for several WaterSMART programs, including
WaterSMART Grants and Title XVI (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Reclamation WaterSMART Program:
FY2014-FY2022
(nominal $ in millions)
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on FY2014-
FY2021 enacted appropriations and Appropriations Committee data.
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on FY2014-
Reclamation Appropriations Issues
FY2021 enacted appropriations, and FY2022 budget request and
Appropriations Committee data.
WIIN Act Section 4007 Funding
Western Drought
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322) authorized a new
Much of the western United States is facing extraordinary
process for Reclamation to study and construct federal and
drought conditions, and several Reclamation programs
nonfederal water storage projects. For a project to receive
address drought. For FY2022, both H.R. 4502 and S. 2605
funding that Congress previously appropriated under this
would add funds for drought response, with $8.5 million in
authority, the Administration must recommend it for
addition to the Administration’s budget request for the
funding, and Congress must approve the recommendation
Drought Response Program. H.R. 4502 also stipulated that
in enacted appropriations legislation. From the first
$50 million in additional funding for Water Conservation
appropriations under the WIIN Act (FY2017) through
and Delivery (see previous section, “Earmarks and
FY2021, Congress appropriated $603 million for these
Reclamation”) was for implementation of the Lower
projects (including $134 million in FY2021 enacted
Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, while S. 2605
appropriations under the Additional Funding category). Of
stipulated that $40 million was for the same purpose.
these appropriations, Congress has approved approximately
Additional Reading
$306 million in Reclamation-recommended funding for 12
individual projects in 3 states (9 in California, 2 in
CRS Report R46303, Bureau of Reclamation: History,
Washington, and 1 in Idaho). To date, Congress has not
Authorities, and Issues for Congress.
followed one Reclamation funding request: for the Shasta
Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project in California.
CRS In Focus IF10626, Reclamation Water Storage
Projects: Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure
In July 2021, Reclamation recommended an additional
Improvements for the Nation Act.
$206 million in prior year Section 4007 appropriations for
six Section 4007 projects and the Senate Appropriations
CRS Report R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements.
Committee agreed to these allocations in S. 2605. S. 2605
also recommended an additional $134 million for future
CRS Report R46308, Bureau of Reclamation Rural Water
4007 projects. H.R. 4502 recommended an additional $67
Projects.
million for future Section 4007 projects; it did not reference
the Administration-requested projects.
CRS Report R45546, Management of the Colorado River:
Water Allocations, Drought, and the Federal Role.
WaterSMART Program
Reclamation combines funding for six subprograms (many
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
of them awarded as grants) that promote water conservation
IF11855
into one program—the WaterSMART program. The largest
subprograms are WaterSMART grants (i.e., water and
energy efficiency grants) and Title XVI projects (i.e., water
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 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
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