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Updated March 28, 2022
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 Appropriations
Overview
fiscal years from FY2022 to FY2026 (i.e., $1.66 billion per
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the
year).
Department of the Interior, is responsible for construction
and operation of hundreds of large dams and water
Figure 1. Reclamation Appropriations:
diversion structures in the 17 western reclamation states
FY2014-FY2022
designated in statute by Congress. These projects provide
(nominal $ in millions)
water to approximately 10 million acres of farmland and 31
million people. Reclamation is the largest wholesale
supplier of water in these 17 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 has evolved, and its focus 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, and desalination.
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account funds
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on FY2014-
most agency activities, including construction, operation
FY2022 enacted appropriations, the FY2022 budget request, and
and maintenance, dam safety, ecosystem restoration, Indian
FY2022 Appropriations Committee data.
water rights settlements, and most programmatic and grant
Notes: Does not reflect supplemental funding; also does not reflect
authorities. Reclamation typically also requests funding for
offsetting receipts for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund.
three smaller accounts: California Bay-Delta Restoration,
the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (which is offset
Earmarks and Reclamation
by customer receipts), and Policy and Administration.
The Water and Related Resources account consists largely
FY2022 Budget Request and
of individual project funding lines. During the 112th-116th
Appropriations Action
Congresses, Reclamation appropriations were subject to
general “earmark moratoriums” that restricted Congress
The Administration request is commonly less than the final
from funding geographically specific project line items not
enacted total for Reclamation. For FY2022, President Biden
requested by the Administration. Instead, Congress
requested $1.53 billion in gross current authority (i.e.,
included “additional funding” amounts for selected
appropriations before offsets) for Reclamation. H.R. 4502,
categories of Reclamation projects, typically in five
the House-passed appropriations bill that included Energy
categories: Rural Water, Water Conservation & Delivery,
and Water Development and Related Agencies (in Division
Environmental Restoration and Compliance, Fish
C), contained $1.95 billion for Reclamation. S. 2605, as
Passage/Fish Screens, and Facilities Maintenance and
reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee, included
Rehabilitation. The Administration recommended
$1.99 billion for Reclamation. The final enacted bill, P.L.
allocations of these funds for specific projects in work plans
117-103, Division D, included $1.90 billion. Figure 1
made available several months after enactment of the
shows enacted appropriations levels since FY2014 for
appropriations bills. (Work plans are available at
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources Account, as
http://www.usbr.gov/budget/.)
well as its other smaller accounts, compared with the
FY2022 levels. Also, in October 2021, Congress enacted
For FY2022 Reclamation appropriations, Congress
$8.30 billion in supplemental appropriations for various
included the first “earmarks” since the 111th Congress.
Reclamation programs under the Infrastructure Investment
Congress also continued to fund the aforementioned
and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). This funding is to be
additional funding categories, albeit at lower levels than for
made available in equal installments for each of the five
FY2018-FY2021 (Figure 2).
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 Appropriations
Figure 2. Reclamation Additional Funds and
energy efficiency grants) and Title XVI projects (i.e., water
Earmarks, FY2014-FY2022
recycling and reuse projects). For FY2022, the Biden
(nominal $ in millions)
Administration requested $54 million for the WaterSMART
program. Both H.R. 4502 and S. 2605 included higher
funding than the President’s request, such as major
increases for subprograms, including WaterSMART Grants
and Title XVI. P.L. 117-103 included a total of $140
million for the WaterSMART program (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Reclamation WaterSMART Program:
FY2014-FY2022
(nominal $ in millions)
Source: CRS based on FY2014-FY2022 enacted appropriations and
FY2022 Appropriations Committee data.
Reclamation Appropriations Issues
Source: CRS based on FY2014-FY2022 enacted appropriations, the
FY2022 budget request, and FY2022 Appropriations Committee data.
WIIN Act Section 4007 Funding
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
Western Drought
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 projects to receive
address drought. For FY2022, Congress approved
funding, first Congress appropriates funds under this
additional drought funding (i.e., funding in addition to
authority. Then the Administration must recommend
“base” funding) of $200 million in the continuing
specific projects for funding, and Congress decides whether
appropriations bill (P.L. 117-43), while also enacting
to approve the recommendations in enacted appropriations
“base” funding for drought programs in P.L. 117-103 (e.g.,
legislation. From the first appropriations under the WIIN
$20 million for the drought response program). The IIJA
Act (FY2017) through FY2021, Congress appropriated
also included funding for some Reclamation programs
$603 million for these projects (including $134 million for
addressing drought, among other programs.
FY2021 under the Additional Funding category). To date,
Congress has rejected Administration-requested funding for
Additional Reading
one project: the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement
CRS Report R46303, Bureau of Reclamation: History,
Project in California.
Authorities, and Issues for Congress
In July 2021, Reclamation recommended that six projects
CRS In Focus IF10626, Reclamation Water Storage
receive $206 million in prior year Section 4007
Projects: Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure
appropriations. Congress agreed to these allocations in the
Improvements for the Nation Act
bill approving continuing appropriations for FY2022 (P.L.
117-43). P.L. 117-43 also directed that $117 million of the
CRS Report R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements
additional funding amount for water conservation and
delivery go toward future Section 4007 projects. Congress
CRS Report R46308, Bureau of Reclamation Rural Water
also included $1.05 billion in supplemental funding for
Projects
water storage projects in the IIJA. As of March 2022,
Congress had approved Reclamation’s allocations for 13
CRS Report R47032, Bureau of Reclamation Provisions in
projects: 10 in California, 2 in Washington, and 1 in Idaho.
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58)
WaterSMART Program
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Reclamation combines funding for six subprograms (many
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
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 Appropriations
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11855 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED