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1 [1] (April 7, 2015)

handle is hein.crs/crsuntaajkk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Burea Congressional Research Service Sinforming the~ Ugislative debate since 1914 Bureau of Reclamation: FY2016 Appropriations Overview Most of the large dams and water diversion structures in the West were built by, or with the assistance of, the Bureau of Reclamation. While the Army Corps of Engineers built hundreds of flood control and navigation projects, Reclamation's mission was to develop water supplies, primarily for irrigation to reclaim arid lands in the West. Today, Reclamation manages hundreds of dams and diversion projects, including more than 300 storage reservoirs in 17 western states. These projects provide water to approximately 10 million acres of farmland and a population of 31 million people. Reclamation is the largest wholesale supplier of water in the 17 western states and the second-largest hydroelectric power producer in the nation. Reclamation facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Operations of Reclamation facilities often are controversial, particularly for their effects on fish and wildlife species and conflicts among competing water users. Reclamation's single largest account, Water and Related Resources, encompasses the agency's traditional programs and projects, including construction, operations and maintenance, dam safety, and ecosystem restoration, among others. Reclamation also requests funds in a number of smaller accounts, including California Bay-Delta Restoration, the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund (CVPRF), and Policy and Administration. Figure 1 shows the recent appropriations history for major Reclamation accounts. Figure I. Bureau of Reclamation Appropriations, FY201 0-FY2016 Request (nominal $ in millions) Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service with data from the Bureau of Reclamation. Notes: FY201 6 Req means the President's FY201 6 budget request. For comparison purposes, proposed new accounts for FY20 16 are shown here within the Water and Related Resources account. CVPRF = Central Valley Project Restoration Fund. FY2016 President's Budget Request The President's budget request for FY2016 proposed $1.09 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation, a decrease of $32 million from the FY2015 enacted level. This figure includes $805 million for Reclamation's largest account, Water and Related Resources. The FY201 6 President's Budget proposes $1.09 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation, a decrease from the FY201 5 enacted level. The Administration also proposed to create new accounts for San Joaquin River restoration and Indian water rights settlements activities, both of which previously were funded in Water and Related Resources. These new accounts have been proposed in recent budget cycles but rejected by Congress. Activities funded in the San Joaquin River Restoration account fund ongoing activities under a congressionally authorized settlement act (P.L. 111-11). The Administration also requested $112 million in funding for a separate Indian Water Rights Settlements account to fund ongoing expenses associated with four congressionally authorized Indian water rights settlements: the Aamodt Settlement, the Crow Settlement, the Navajo-Gallup Settlement, and the Taos Settlement. The proposed $112 million for these activities is an increase from the FY2015 enacted level of $90 million, which was provided within the Water and Related Resources Account. Earmarks and Reclamation The Reclamation budget is made up largely of individual project funding lines and contains relatively few programs. Recently, these Reclamation projects have been subject to 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, Congress has included additional funding for selected categories of Reclamation projects (e.g., rural water projects, water conservation, drought response) and directed the bureau to report on project-level allocations of this funding in an annual work plan. Most recently, enacted appropriations for FY2015 added $97 million to the President's requested budget for ongoing work in various categories. This funding was allocated at the program and project levels in the bureau's FY2015 work plan, which Reclamation released on February 6, 2015 (see http://www.usbr.gov/budget/2016/ FY2015_summary and detail Project-Lists0%2002-02- 15.pdfj. www.crs.gov 1 7-5700 April 7, 2015

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