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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2023 Budget and Appropriations
Overview
for each of the five fiscal years from FY2022 to FY2026
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the
(i.e., $1.66 billion per year).
Department of the Interior, is responsible for the
construction and operation of hundreds of large dams and
Figure 1. Reclamation Annual Appropriations:
water diversion structures in the 17 western reclamation
FY2014-FY2022 Enacted and FY2023 Request
states designated in statute by Congress. These projects
(nominal $ in millions)
provide 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 those of the other principal federal water
resource agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Reclamation has evolved since its creation in 1902; 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, such as
funding for water projects on tribal lands and in rural areas,
respectively. Congress also has authorized new
Reclamation grants for nonfederal projects, including those
for water reuse and recycling, desalination, conservation
and efficiency, and restoration, among other purposes.
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account funds
most agency activities, including construction, operation
Sources: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on FY2014-
and maintenance, dam safety, ecosystem restoration, Indian
FY2022 enacted appropriations and the FY2023 budget request.
water rights settlements, and most programmatic and grant
Notes: Does not include supplemental funding for drought and
authorities. Reclamation typically also requests funding for
infrastructure that was enacted in 2021. Also does not include
three smaller accounts: California Bay-Delta Restoration,
offsetting receipts for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund.
the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (which is offset
by customer receipts), and Policy and Administration.
Earmarks and Reclamation
Most of Reclamation’s budget goes to projects rather than
FY2023 Budget Request and Context
programs, and the Water and Related Resources account
The Administration request is usually less than the final
consists largely of individual project funding lines. During
enacted total for Reclamation. For FY2023, President Biden
the 112th-116th Congresses, Reclamation appropriations
requested $1.41 billion in gross current budget authority
were subject to general “earmark moratoriums” that
(i.e., appropriations before offsets) for Reclamation. In
restricted Congress from funding geographically specific
FY2022, the final enacted bill, P.L. 117-103, Division D,
project line items not requested by the Administration.
included $1.90 billion. Figure 1 shows enacted
Instead, Congress included “additional funding” amounts
appropriations levels since FY2014 for Reclamation’s
for selected categories of Reclamation projects, typically in
largest account (Water and Related Resources), as well as
five categories: Rural Water, Water Conservation and
its smaller accounts.
Delivery, Environmental Restoration and Compliance, Fish
Passage/Fish Screens, and Facilities Maintenance and
In addition to regular appropriations, Reclamation received
Rehabilitation. The Administration recommended
supplemental appropriations on two occasions in 2021.
allocations of these funds for specific projects in spend
First, in late September 2021, Congress included $210
plans made available several months after enactment of the
million in FY2022 supplemental funding in the continuing
appropriations bills. (Spend plans are available at
appropriations bill (P.L. 117-43) for Reclamation to combat
http://www.usbr.gov/budget/.)
western drought and wildfire. Then, in October 2021,
Congress enacted $8.30 billion in supplemental
In FY2022, Congress included the first member-requested
appropriations for various Reclamation programs under the
“earmarks” since the 111th Congress. These funds were
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58).
categorized as community project funding or
This funding is to be made available in equal installments
congressionally directed spending. The appropriations
committees have once again invited these proposals for
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2023 Budget and Appropriations
FY2023. Congress also continued to fund the
subprograms are WaterSMART Grants (i.e., water and
aforementioned additional funding categories, albeit at
energy efficiency grants) and Title XVI projects (i.e., water
lower levels than for FY2018-FY2021 (Figure 2).
recycling and reuse projects). For FY2023, the Biden
Administration requested $62 million for the WaterSMART
Figure 2. Reclamation Additional Funds from
program (Figure 3).
Congress, FY2014-FY2022
(nominal $ in millions)
Figure 3. Reclamation WaterSMART Program:
FY2014-FY2022 Enacted and FY2023 Budget Request
(nominal $ in millions)
Sources: CRS, based on FY2014-FY2023 enacted appropriations.
Notes: CPS/CDS=Community Project Spending/Congressional y
Source: CRS, based on FY2014-FY2022 enacted appropriations, the
Directed Spending.
FY2023 budget request, and FY2022 Appropriations Committee data.
Reclamation Appropriations Issues
Western Drought
Much of the western United States is facing extraordinary
WIIN Act Section 4007 Funding
drought conditions, and several Reclamation programs
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
address drought in these areas. For FY2022, Congress
the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322) authorized a new
approved additional drought funding (i.e., funding in
addition to “base” funding) of $200 million in
process for Reclamation to study and construct federal and
P.L. 117-43,
nonfederal water storage projects. For projects to receive
while also enacting “base” funding for drought programs in
funding, first Congress must appropriate funds under this
regular appropriations later in the year. The FY2023 budget
authority. Then, the Administration must recommend
request includes funding for Reclamation programs
specific projects for funding and Congress must decide
addressing drought in specific areas, such as funding for the
whether to approve the recommendations in enacted
Colorado River Drought Contingency Plans ($18.7 million
appropriations legislation. From the first appropriations
in the Lower Colorado River Basin and $3.7 million in the
under the WIIN Act (FY2017) through FY2022, Congress
Upper Colorado River Basin) and wildlife refuge water
supply purchases in California’s Central Valley (
appropriated $720 million in regular appropriations for
$11.8
these projects (including $117 million for FY2022 under
million), as well as general drought grant funding for the
the Additional Funding category). To date, Congress has
Drought Response Program ($24.0 million).
rejected Administration-requested funding for one project:
Additional Reading
the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project in
California.
CRS Report R46303, Bureau of Reclamation: History,
Authorities, and Issues for Congress.
Reclamation recommends funding for Section 4007 projects
apart from its annual budget request. In July 2021,
CRS Report CRS Report R47032, Bureau of Reclamation
Reclamation recommended six projects to receive $206
Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
million in prior year appropriations. Congress agreed to
(P.L. 117-58).
these allocations in P.L. 117-43. As of May 2022, Congress
had approved Reclamation recommendations for 13
CRS In Focus IF10626, Reclamation Water Storage
projects: 10 in California, 2 in Washington, and 1 in Idaho.
Projects: Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure
Congress also included $1.05 billion in supplemental
Improvements for the Nation Act.
funding for water storage projects in the IIJA, most of
which is expected to be used for Section 4007 projects.
CRS Report R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements.
WaterSMART Program
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Reclamation combines funding for six subprograms (many
IF12127
of them awarded as grants) that promote water conservation
into one program—the WaterSMART program. The largest
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2023 Budget and 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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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12127 · VERSION 1 · NEW