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1 1 (March 27, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govybf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Conresiona Reerhevc Updated March 27, 2019 Bureau of Reclamation: FY2019 Appropriations Overview Most of the large dams and water diversion structures in the 17 states west of the Mississippi River were built by, or with the assistance of, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the Department of the Interior. Reclamation's original mission was to develop water supplies, primarily for irrigation to reclaim arid lands in the West. Today, its mission includes management, development, and protection of water and related resources. Reclamation's mission areas and geographic scope are generally narrower than the other principal federal water resource agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Today, Reclamation manages hundreds of dams and diversion projects in the 17 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 these 17 western states and the second-largest hydroelectric power producer in the nation. Operations of Reclamation facilities can be controversial, particularly in relation to how they affect fish and wildlife species and lead to conflicts among competing water users. Reclamation's role in water resources development has evolved over time. Reclamation's focus has gradually shifted from construction of new water storage projects to operations and maintenance of existing projects, many of which are aging. Reclamation also has been authorized to carry out new missions and programs, including funding Indian water supply projects as part of congressionally authorized Indian water rights settlements (IWRS), as well as providing financial support for other projects addressing rural water supply, water reuse and recycling, and desalination efforts, among other things. Reclamation's Water and Related Resources account funds the majority of the agency's activities, including construction, operations and maintenance, dam safety, and ecosystem restoration. It also funds IWRS and most of Reclamation's programmatic and grant authorities. In addition to the Water and Related Resources account, Reclamation typically requests funding for three smaller accounts: the geographically specific California Bay-Delta Restoration and Central Valley Project Restoration Fund accounts (the latter of which is offset by customer receipts) and the Policy and Administration account (which funds administrative activities). FY20 19 Budget and Appropriations The President's budget request for FY2019 proposed $1.049 billion in gross current authority for Reclamation. The proposal was approximately $421 million less than the final FY2018 enacted level of $1.47 billion. The FY2019 enacted bill (P.L. 115-244) provided Reclamation with $1.55 billion. Figure 1 shows recent appropriations levels for Reclamation. Figure I. Bureau of Reclamation Appropriations, FY20 I 3-FY20 19 (nominal $ in millions) 1800 1500 1200 900 GOO 300 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY12 FY19Pres FY19 Budg Enacted n California Bay-Delta w CVPRF a Policy and Administration a Water and Related Resources Source: CRS, based on Reclamation budget request and appropriations data. Notes: Does not reflect offsetting receipts for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (CVPRF). Earmarks and Reclamation The Water and Related Resources account is made up largely of individual project funding lines. These projects have been subject to recent earmark moratoriums that restrict the addition of funding for geographically specific project line items that the Administration did not request. In lieu of these additions, since FY2014 Congress has included additional funding beyond the President's budget request for selected categories of Reclamation projects. These funds typically are allocated in work plans made available several months after appropriations bills have been enacted (these plans are available at http://www.usbr.gov/budget/). FY2018 enacted appropriations more than doubled recent funding levels for these projects, including $306 million in addition to the President's FY2018 budget request across five project categories. The FY2019 enacted bill provided $387 million in increases above the President's FY2019 budget request, spread across the following four categories: rural water ($99 million); water conservation and delivery ($244 million); environmental restoration or compliance ($40 million); and facilities operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation ($4 million). Additional funding amounts in recent appropriations bills are shown below in Figure 2. https:I/crsreportstcongressago

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