Agency in Brief: Bureau of Reclamation

What does Reclamation do?

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR or Reclamation) is an agency of the federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is primarily responsible for the management of water resources throughout the Western United States. Since its foundation in 1902, the BOR has become a major supplier of water and hydroelectric power to the Western United States, providing water to more than 31 million people and allowing around one in five western farmers to irrigate their crops. The BOR has constructed over six hundred dams and reservoirs and operate 53 hydroelectric powerplants, which allow it to act as the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States.

Why does it matter for TU?

The BOR is important to Trout Unlimited because it seeks to manage the great rivers of the United States in an environmentally responsible manner, and its significant and expansive projects and responsibilities along many western rivers make it a valuable partner in preventing harm from coming to waterways and the fish populations which inhabit them.

Key Reclamation programs and partnerships

The Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project: This program, which has a time-frame of several decades, has sought to greatly improve water conditions in Washington’s Yakima Basin. Among other objectives, the project will improve water storage, install fish passages for steelhead and salmon, and guarantee greater minimum flows for these species.

Basin Studies: The BOR has undertaken basin studies across the Western United States, and has partnered with Trout Unlimited in its studies of the Colorado, Yakima, and Henry’s Fork watersheds. These efforts have been instrumental in developing conservation strategies for these key watersheds and for providing the ability to develop scenario plans to ensure that future developments do not harm these important areas.

WaterSMART Grants: The BOR has offered millions of dollars in grants to conservation organizations across the Western United States, and TU has benefited from the opportunities that these efforts have provided. TU has worked with the agricultural community and other local stakeholders to secure two WaterSMART grants for the Sun River in Montana, and has used these grants to balance streamflow restoration needs and irrigation infrastructure in an effective and beneficial manner.