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May 9, 2024
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2025 Budget and Appropriations
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the
Reclamation has been allocating these funds on a rolling
Department of the Interior, is primarily responsible for the
basis.
construction and operation of hundreds of large dams and
water diversion structures in the 17 western Reclamation
Figure 1. Reclamation Annual Appropriations from
States, as designated in statute (43 U.S.C. §391).
FY2015 to FY2024 and FY2025 Budget Request
Reclamation is the largest wholesale supplier of water in
Figure is interactive in the HTML version of this In Focus.
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, 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 efficiency, and aquatic
ecosystem restoration, among other purposes). Reclamation
typically also receives funding for three smaller accounts:
California Bay-Delta Restoration, the Central Valley
Project Restoration Fund (which is offset by customer
receipts), and Policy and Administration.
Source: CRS, based on FY2015-FY2024 appropriations and FY2025
FY2025 Budget and Appropriations
budget request. Inflation adjustment based on Office of Management
The Administration usually requests a lower amount for
and Budget (OMB) FY2025 Budget, Historical Table 10.1.
Reclamation than the final enacted total of annual
Notes: Amounts do not reflect supplemental funding or offsetting
appropriations. For FY2025, the President requested $1.599
receipts.
billion in current budget authority (i.e., appropriations
before offsets) for Reclamation, or $301 million less than
Additional Funding and “Earmarks”
the $1.900 billion provided by Congress in the
Reclamation’s Water and Related Resources account
Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2024 (P.L. 118-42).
consists largely of individual project funding lines. During
The majority of Reclamation’s funding is for the Water and
the 112th-116th Congresses, Reclamation appropriations
Related Resources Account. Figure 1 shows recent
were subject to general earmark moratoriums that restricted
Reclamation annual appropriations levels (not including
Congress from funding geographically specific project line
offsets or offsetting receipts).
items not requested by the Administration. Instead,
Congress included Additional Funding amounts for selected
In addition to regular annual appropriations, Congress has
categories of Reclamation projects, typically in five
provided Reclamation with supplemental appropriations,
categories: Rural Water, Water Conservation and Delivery,
which will augment discretionary funding by approximately
Environmental Restoration and Compliance, Fish
$2.500 billion in FY2025. The Infrastructure Investment
Passage/Fish Screens, and Facilities Maintenance and
and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) included $8.300 billion in
Rehabilitation. The Administration allocated these funds for
supplemental appropriations for various infrastructure-
specific projects in spend plans made available several
focused Reclamation expenditures. This funding is to be
months after enactment of the appropriations bills.
made available in equal installments from FY2022 to
FY2026 (i.e., $1.660 billion per year) and is no year
In the 117th and 118th Congresses, appropriations
funding, meaning it remains available until expended. P.L.
recommendations have included earmarks (now categorized
117-169 (popularly known as the Inflation Reduction Act of
as community project funding (CPF) or congressionally
2022, or IRA) provided an additional $4.590 billion for
directed spending (CDS) in the House and Senate,
Reclamation, including $4.000 billion for western drought
respectively). Congress has recommended funding
mitigation, with priority given to actions in the Colorado
CPF/CDS items in Reclamation’s Water and Related
River Basin. IRA funding is to remain available until
Resources account, in addition to amounts designated as
FY2026 or FY2031, depending on the provision.
Additional Funding (Figure 2). In P.L. 118-42, Congress
included $315 million in Additional Funding and $41
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2025 Budget and Appropriations
million in CPF/CDS for FY2024. For FY2025, the House
into one program—the WaterSMART program. The largest
and Senate Appropriations committees invite Members of
subprograms are WaterSMART Grants and Title XVI
Congress to request CPF and CDS items, respectively,
projects (i.e., water recycling and reuse projects). In P.L.
including under Reclamation’s Water and Related
118-42, Congress provided $141 million for the
Resources Account.
Reclamation WaterSMART program in FY2024. For
FY2025, the President’s budget requests $66 million for the
Figure 2. Congressionally Added Funding in
WaterSMART program, a decrease of $75 million from the
Reclamation Annual Appropriations: FY2015-FY2024
FY2024 enacted level (Figure 3).
Figure is interactive in the HTML version of this In Focus.
Figure 3. WaterSMART Program: Annual
Appropriations from FY2015 to FY2024 and FY2025
Budget Request
Figure is interactive in the HTML version of this In Focus.
Source: CRS, based on FY2015-FY2024 appropriations and FY2025
budget request. Inflation adjustment based on OMB FY2025 Budget
Historical Table 10.1.
Notes: CPF/CDS = community project funding/congressional y
directed spending.
Reclamation Appropriations Issues
WIIN Act Section 4007 Funding
Source: CRS, based on FY2015-FY2024 appropriations and FY2025
Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for
budget request. Inflation adjustment based on OMB FY2025 Budget,
the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322) authorized a
Historical Table 10.1.
process for Reclamation to study and construct federal and
Additional Reading
nonfederal water storage projects. For projects to receive
funding under Section 4007, first Congress appropriates
CRS Report R47032, Bureau of Reclamation Provisions in
funds under this authority. Then, the Administration
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58),
recommends specific projects to fund using those
by Charles V. Stern and Anna E. Normand
appropriations. Congress is then to decide whether to
approve these recommendations in enacted appropriations
CRS In Focus IF12437, Bureau of Reclamation Funding in
legislation.
the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), by Charles V.
Stern and Anna E. Normand
From FY2017 through FY2023, Congress provided $854
million in regular appropriations for these projects.
CRS In Focus IF12414, Bureau of Reclamation
Congress has approved Administration recommendations
WaterSMART Program, by Charles V. Stern and Anna E.
for 13 projects in California, Washington, and Idaho
Normand
totaling $609 million. In July 2023, the Administration
requested approval of funding for one project ($206 million
CRS Report R47987, Bureau of Reclamation Support for
for Sites Reservoir in California). This recommendation
Water Storage Projects, by Charles V. Stern
was approved in P.L. 118-42. Congress also appropriated
another $134 million for future project allocations in the
CRS Report R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements, by
act.
Charles V. Stern
WaterSMART Program
Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Reclamation combines funding for six subprograms (many
IF12661
of them awarded as grants) that promote water conservation
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Bureau of Reclamation: FY2025 Budget and Appropriations
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