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1 [1] (March 28, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govzgc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SCongr ssional Research Service Updated March 28, 2018 Bureau of Reclamation: FY2018 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 (Reclamation), part of the Department of the Interior. Whereas 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 338 storage reservoirs in 17 western states. 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 and supporting rural water supply, water reuse and recycling, and desalination efforts, among other things. Reclamation typically receives its appropriations through the annual Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. Reclamation's single largest budget account, Water and Related Resources, encompasses the majority of the agency's programs and projects, including construction, operations and maintenance, dam safety, and ecosystem restoration. Many of these projects derive funding from the Reclamation Fund, a special account in the U.S. Treasury. (For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10042, The Reclamation Fund.) The Water and Related Resources account also funds Indian water rights settlements and certain programmatic authorities (e.g., Title XVI water reuse and recycling grants). In addition to the Water and Related Resources account, Reclamation requests funds for three smaller accounts in its annual appropriation: 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 expenses). Figure 1 shows recent appropriations for Reclamation. FY20 18 Budget and Appropriations The President's budget for FY2018 proposed $1.09 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation, $210 million less than the FY2017-enacted level of $1.31 billion. The House-passed Energy and Water Development appropriations bill provided $1.23 billion for all Reclamation accounts in FY2018, whereas the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $1.29 billion. The final enacted amount for Reclamation for FY2018 in P.L. 115-141 (enacted March 23, 2018) was $1.47 billion. Figure I. Bureau of Reclamation Appropriations, FY20 I 3-FY20 18 (nominal $ in millions) 1800 1500 1200 900 600 300 0 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 Pres FY18 Budg m California Bay-Delta a CVPRF w Policy and Administration aWaterand Related Resources Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on Bureau of Reclamation budget data. Notes: CVPRF = Central Valley Project Restoration Fund. 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, environmental restoration) and directed Reclamation to report back on project-level allocations of this funding in a work plan. Enacted appropriations for FY2017 added $112 million to the President's requested budget for work in various categories. The funding was subsequently allocated at the program and project levels in Reclamation's FY2017 work plan (available at http://www.usbr.gov/budget/). For FY2018, Congress included $306 million in five project categories: rural water ($67 million); water conservation and delivery ($189 million); environmental restoration or compliance ($40 million); fish passage and fish screens ($5 million); and facilities operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation ($4 million). Issues for Congress WIIN Act Funding The severe drought in California from 2012 to 2016 increased attention on the study and construction of Reclamation water storage projects in western states. Section 4007 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for https://crsreports.congress.gos

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