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Updated August 28, 2023
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2024 Budget and Appropriations
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the
Figure 1. Reclamation Annual Appropriations,
Department of the Interior, is primarily responsible for the
FY2016-FY2024
construction and operation of hundreds of large dams and
(nominal $ in millions)
water diversion structures in the 17 western reclamation
states as designated in statute (43 U.S.C. §391).
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’s Water and Related Resources account funds
most agency activities, including construction, operations
and maintenance, dam safety, ecosystem restoration, and
Indian water rights settlements, as well as the agency’s
programmatic and grant authorities (including those for
water reuse and recycling, desalination, conservation and
Source: CRS, based on FY2016-FY2023 appropriations, the FY2024
efficiency, and restoration, among other purposes).
President’s budget request, H.Rept. 118-126, and S.Rept. 118-72.
Reclamation typically also receives funding for three
Notes: Does not reflect supplemental funding or offsetting receipts.
smaller accounts: California Bay-Delta Restoration, the
Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (which is offset by
“Earmarks” and Reclamation
customer receipts), and Policy and Administration.
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account
FY2024 Budget and Appropriations
consists largely of individual project funding lines. During
the 112th-116th Congresses, Reclamation appropriations
The Administration usually requests a lower amount for
were subject to general earmark moratoriums that restricted
Reclamation than the final enacted total of annual
Congress from funding geographically specific project line
appropriations. For FY2024, the President requested $1.45
items not requested by the Administration. Instead,
billion in current budget authority (i.e., appropriations
Congress included Additional Funding amounts for selected
before offsets) for Reclamation. In reported bills for
categories of Reclamation projects, typically in five
Reclamation, the House Appropriations Committee
categories: Rural Water, Water Conservation and Delivery,
included $1.84 billion in H.R. 4394 and the Senate
Environmental Restoration and Compliance, Fish
Appropriations Committee included $1.92 billion in S.
Passage/Fish Screens, and Facilities Maintenance and
2443. Figure 1 shows recent Reclamation annual
Rehabilitation. The Administration allocated these funds for
appropriations levels and these bills.
specific projects in spend plans made available several
months after enactment of the appropriations bills. (Spend
In addition to regular appropriations, Congress has provided
plans are available at http://www.usbr.gov/budget/.)
Reclamation with supplemental appropriations that may
factor into FY2024 appropriations considerations. The
In FY2022, Congress included the first Member-requested
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58)
“earmarks” since the 111th Congress. These funds were
included $8.30 billion in supplemental appropriations for
categorized as community project funding (CPF) or
various infrastructure-focused Reclamation expenditures.
congressionally directed spending (CDS) in the House and
This funding is to be made available in equal installments
Senate, respectively. For FY2023, the explanatory
from FY2022 to FY2026 (i.e., $1.66 billion per year). P.L.
statement for the enacted bill continued to include these
117-169 (popularly known as the Inflation Reduction Act of
funds in recommendations for Reclamation, in addition to
2022, or IRA) provided an additional $4.59 billion for
amounts designated as Additional Funding. In its FY2024
Reclamation, including $4.00 billion for western drought
recommendation, the House Appropriations Committee
mitigation, with priority given to actions in the Colorado
included $361 million in Additional Funding and $11
River Basin. IIJA funding is no year funding, meaning it
million in CPF, whereas the Senate Appropriations
remains available until expended; IRA funding is to remain
Committee included $336 million in Additional Funding
available until FY2026 or FY2031, depending on the
and $35 million in CDS (Figure 2).
provision. Reclamation has been gradually allocating IIJA
funding in spend plans for each fiscal year and is releasing
IRA funding on a rolling basis.
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2024 Budget and Appropriations
Figure 2. Additional Funding for Reclamation Projects
recommendations, the House Appropriations Committee
in Annual Appropriations: FY2016-FY2024
would provide $88 million for WaterSMART and the
(nominal $ in millions)
Senate Appropriations Committee would provide $140.5
million (Figure 3).
Figure 3. WaterSMART Program Annual
Appropriations: FY2016-FY2024
(nominal $ in millions)
Sources: CRS, based on FY2016-FY2023 appropriations, H.Rept.
118-126, and S.Rept. 118-72.
Notes: CPF/CDS = Community Project Funding/Congressional y
Directed Spending.
Reclamation Appropriations Issues
Source: CRS, based on FY2016-FY2023 appropriations, the FY2024
WIIN Act Section 4007 Funding
President’s budget request, H.Rept. 118-126, and S.Rept. 118-72.
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
Indian Water Rights Settlements
the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322) authorized a new
The FY2024 President’s budget proposed changes in how
process for Reclamation to study and construct federal and
Reclamation funds Indian water rights settlements. The
nonfederal water storage projects. For projects to receive
budget proposed no discretionary funding for settlement-
funding under Section 4007, first Congress would
related construction, noting that funding needs could be met
appropriate funds under this authority. Then the
with already enacted mandatory funding. The
Administration would recommend specific projects to fund
Administration also proposed two new mandatory funds
and Congress would face a decision whether to approve the
providing, respectively, $2.5 billion and $340 million over
recommendations in enacted appropriations legislation.
10 years to support additional funding for new and
amended settlements and ongoing operation, maintenance,
From FY2017 through FY2023, Congress provided $854
and repairs for existing settlements. Both funds would
million in regular appropriations for these projects.
require congressional authorization. The House and Senate
Congress has approved Administration recommendations
Appropriations Committees maintained the
for 13 projects and $511 million of this funding in
Administration’s approach to this discretionary funding in
California, Washington, and Idaho. For FY2024, the
their reported bills, but both included report language
Administration did not request funding for these projects; it
suggesting these settlements also could benefit from
has not recommended any new project allocations of prior
allocations from the Additional Funding category.
year appropriations since 2022. Both the House and the
Senate committee bills would approve an additional $134
Additional Reading
million in Section 4007 funding to be allocated later by
CRS Report R47032, Bureau of Reclamation Provisions in
Reclamation. The House Appropriations Committee’s
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58)
FY2024 bill also would make available funding previously
recommended by the Trump Administration for the Shasta
CRS In Focus IF12437, Bureau of Reclamation Funding in
Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project. Neither Congress
the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169)
nor the Biden Administration previously recommended
funds for that project. It is unclear how much funding could
CRS In Focus IF12414, Bureau of Reclamation
be released pursuant to this language.
WaterSMART Program
WaterSMART Program
CRS Report R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements
Reclamation combines funding for six subprograms (many
of them awarded as grants) that promote water conservation
CRS In Focus IF10626, Reclamation Water Storage
into one program—the WaterSMART program. The largest
Projects: Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure
subprograms are WaterSMART Grants (i.e., water and
Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act
energy efficiency grants) and Title XVI projects (i.e., water
recycling and reuse projects). In the FY2024 budget
request, the Biden Administration proposed $63 million for
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
the WaterSMART program. In their respective
IF12369
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2024 Budget and Appropriations
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