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DOI U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR or Reclamation)

The current mission of the USBR is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Through leadership, use of technical expertise, efficient operations, responsive customer service and the creativity of people, Reclamation will seek to protect local economies and preserve natural resources and ecosystems through the effective use of water.

Established in 1902, USBR was created to provide a stable supply of water for the settlement of the American West. Agency-constructed water projects, including dams, reservoirs, power plants, and canals to arid lands, led to homesteading and promoted economic development. Today, USBR is the largest wholesaler of water in the country and is the largest supplier and manager of water in the 17 western states, operating 180 projects and maintaining 479 dams and 348 reservoirs. USBR projects provide agricultural, household, and industrial water to about one-third of the population in the west, delivering water to more than 31 million people and providing one out of five farmers (and 10 million acres of land) with irrigation water via 54,550 miles of canals. Reclamation is also the Nation's second largest producer of hydroelectric power.

The needs of the West have changed greatly since the early 1900s. Many of the rivers have been over allocated, and existing water supplies as currently managed are, or may become, inadequate to meet the demands for water for people, cities, farms, and the environment in many areas. Water issues and management challenges, increasing across the Nation but particularly in the West and Southeast due to prolonged drought, assure that water supply-related crises will become more frequent if action is not taken now. This situation reflects the new western water landscape, and few new federally funded dams are likely to ever be built, owing to the high financial costs and environmental and other concerns.

In response to changing realities of western water supply, USBR must attempt to secure water through other means, in particular through better water management. Reclamation is now oriented around meeting "the increasing water demands of the West while protecting the environment and the public's investment." This focus involves increased emphasis on water conservation and water recycling and reuse and continued attention to water treatment, water quality, and water supply. Reclamation's redefined official mission (see above) gives no indication of the complexity and contentiousness that exists in trying to achieve a delicate balance between all the competing needs.

USBR is engaged in various water conservation and sustainability efforts with other agencies, including the DOI WaterSMART and Basin Study programs. Program objectives are identifying strategies to secure water supplies for existing and future generations and adaptive measures to address climate change and future demands of the Nation.  Also, USBR is a member of the Climate Change and Western Water Group, a federal research and development group. The goal is interagency, coordinated research and development planning that is steered by user needs and feedback.

  • http://www.usbr.gov/, for USBR homepage; go to left sidebar for ‘Newsroom' (with fact sheets),‘About Us', ‘Programs and Activities', and ‘Water Operations' in the five USBR regions. See right sidebar for information on projects, programs, website index and other

  

> Strategic Plan

Today, USBR is a contemporary water management agency with a strategic plan outlining numerous programs, initiatives and activities that will help the western states, Native American Tribes and others meet new water needs and balance the multitude of competing uses of water in the West. The mission is to assist in meeting the increasing water demands of the West while protecting the environment and the public's investment in these structures. Great emphasis is placed on water conservation, water recycling and reuse. In fulfilling its water delivery obligations, USBR is engaged in developing effective partnerships with its customers, states, Native American Tribes, and other water users. Together with its myriad of stakeholders, Reclamation is finding ways to bring together the variety of interests to address the competing needs for America's limited water resources.

Two components of the Commissioner's plan for attaining the USBR vision include 1) directing Reclamation leadership and technical expertise in water resources development and in the efficient use of water through initiatives including conservation, reuse, and research; and 2) managing Reclamation's facilities to fulfill water user contracts and protect and/or enhance conditions for fish, wildlife, land, and cultural resources.

 

> DOI WaterSMART Program

Water shortage and water-use conflicts have become more commonplace in many areas of the United States, even in normal water years. In February 2010, DOI Secretary Ken Salazar issued Secretarial Order 3297 launching the WaterSMART Program, which stands for "Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow". The purpose of the program is identifying strategies to "secure and stretch water supplies for use by existing and future generations to benefit people, the economy, and the environment, and identify adaptive measures needed to address climate change and future demands." USBR and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are the lead agencies for the WaterSMART Program, and a key aspect is USBR's Basin Study Program.

DOI will maximize the effectiveness of the water sustainability efforts and programs of DOI agencies, including USBR Title XVI Basin Study Program, WaterSMART Grants, and USGS WaterSMART National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program (proposed for FY 2011), by coordinating among them and with ongoing water conservation and sustainability programs of other federal and state agencies.

WaterSMART will coordinate with DOI's Task Force on Energy and Climate Change and the ECC (formerly Climate Change Response) Council, working with DOI's regional Climate Science Centers and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives to obtain the best available science and ensure sustainable water strategies in the field offices of bureaus and agencies. The program will make recommendations for enhancements to information collection, analysis and delivery where needed. Each DOI bureau and office will exercise its discretion within the scope of its mission to carry out the purpose of this Order to sustain and manage water resources.

 

> The Basin Study Program, West-Wide Climate Risk Assessments, and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

These three complementary activities are within the WaterSMART Initiative, in accordance with Secretarial Order 3289, and meet the authorizations of the Secure Water Act. Secretarial Order 3289, issued by DOI Secretary Ken Salazar in September 2009, details Interior's coordinated strategy to address the current and future impacts of climate change on America's diverse natural resources, including water. As a whole, these three activities represent a continuum of activities within the context of climate change adaptation and a comprehensive approach to incorporate the best available science into climate change adaptation planning. 

 

Basin Study Program (Basin Studies)

The USBR Basin Study Program is a matching grant program to conduct future water supply and demand analyses in Western river basins and to create water management plans in order to meet changing conditions. The Program incorporates the latest science, engineering technology, climate models and innovative approaches to water management. Options that are evaluated in the studies include changes to the operation of water supply systems, modifications to existing facilities, development of new facilities, and non-structural strategies. The basin studies generally will be two years in duration.

The Basin Study Program is part of the Water Conservation Initiative (WCI) and one of the chief avenues for USBR to implement the SECURE Water Act. Components of the WCI include providing competitive financial assistance for water conservation, efficiency and marketing projects and other activities that enhance water management; conducting basin-wide planning studies that will address the impacts of climate change; and continued funding of water reuse and recycling projects. To date, three basin studies are underway (Colorado River; Yakima River, WA; and St Mary and Milk Rivers, MT) and $3.3 million in matching funding was recently announced to undertake an additional six basin studies. Most emphasis to date has been on assessing water supply changes associated with climate change.

 

SECURE Water Act

The SECURE Water Act was enacted into law as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11 Subtitle F). The SECURE Water Act is the first U.S. law requiring climate change adaptation planning, and specifically requires the consideration of the environment and ecosystems within river basin water adaptation plans. In each river basin where USBR operates, the Bureau is to assess the climate-related risks to water supplies and the associated impacts on water delivery, hydropower, fish and wildlife habitat, endangered species, and ecological resilience, and develop "strategies at watershed and aquifer system scales to address potential water shortages, conflicts, and other impacts to water users located at, and the environment of, each service area."

 

West-Wide Climate Risk Assessments (WWCRA)

WWCRA will assess impacts to water supplies and demands on a reconnaissance level, and include a baseline risk and impact assessment.  The assessments establish a foundation for more in-depth analyses and the development of adaptation options through the Basin Study Program, operations planning, or any other activity that can benefit from the assessments.

 

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs)    

LCCs are applied, self-directed conservation partnerships among DOI agencies, notably USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) with USBR in a support role, other federal agencies, states, tribes, non-governmental organizations, universities and others to address the challenges of climate change, land use, and other stressors across broad areas in an integrated fashion. LCCs link science and management and are fundamental units of planning and science capacity in carrying out the functional elements of FWS strategic habitat conservation (SHC). They provide scientific and technical support for on-the-ground strategic, landscape-scale conservation in an adaptive management framework that emphasizes science-based biological planning, conservation design, research, inventory and monitoring. The products that LCCs develop help to inform and improve conservation delivery efforts on the ground.

Guided by DOI's newly created Energy and Climate Change Council (formerly Climate Change Response Council), LCCs will provide new science capacity for FWS and partners and will complement USGS Climate Science Centers (CSCs) from a FWS mission and partner-based perspective. Regional CSCs and a LCC network were established by DOI Secretary Ken Salazar via Secretarial Order 3289 to develop strategies for managing climate change and other impacts on natural resources. Efforts will focus on impacts that typically extend beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries, such as the effects of climate change on wildlife migration patterns, wildfire risk, drought, or invasive species.

DOI has established 21 (22?) LCCs encompassing all 50 States and U.S. Pacific Islands. FWS is a primary lead on LCCs and has invested the most resources into establishing and staffing them. Eight LCCs received funding in FY10 through FWS. Additional LCCs are being established with support from USBR, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and the EPA.

Along with USBR's Science and Technology Program, working with CSCs, LCCs represent the primary source and communications avenue for climate change science to support climate change adaptation.  LCCs will support the incorporation of environmental information within the WWCRA and Basin Studies that are developed with LCC partners.  The water resource information developed by the WWCRA and Basin Studies will be a major contribution of Reclamation's to LCC partners. USBR is co-leading the development of those LCCs overlaying the Colorado River and Rio Grande basins, potentially providing a nexus between the Basin Study Program and the LCCs.

 

Science and Technology Program

The Research and Development Office advances USBR's mission by developing and applying science and technology. The Science and Technology (S&T) Program is the primary Research and Development (R&D) arm of USBR. The S&T Program is a Reclamation-wide competitive, merit-based applied R&D program that is focused on innovative solutions for Reclamation water and facility managers and western water stakeholders. The program has contributed many of the tools and capabilities in use today by Reclamation and western water managers.

 

> Federal Climate Change and Water Working Group (CCAWWG)

USBR and five other federal agencies have formed CCAWWG*, a federal research and development group. The primary purpose of CCAWWG is to ensure efficient collaborations and sharing of information across federal agencies toward understanding and addressing climate change and water resources impacts in the United States. The goal is an interagency, coordinated research and development plan that is steered by user needs, incorporates expert review, delivers research and development products to users, and assimilates user feedback to steer the next research steps. Reclamation also has empanelled the Climate Technical Work Group to provide 1) information on climate science and future climate conditions and their potential impact on the Colorado River and 2) input as to how climate information can be incorporated into Reclamation's Colorado River operations and planning activities.

*Originally, CCAWWG had a western United States focus, stood for Climate Change and Western Water Group, and consisted of three Federal entities: USBR, USGS, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Since 2009, CCAWWG interests have broadened to a national view with membership now including U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).   

 

Technical Reports, Water Resources Management

USBR, USGS, NOAA and USACE collaborated to produce Climate Change and Water Resources Management: A Federal Perspective (February 2009). This study shows that climate change could affect all sectors of water resources management and presents the best available science to help water managers prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate the effects of climate change on the nation's water resources. It explores strategies to improve water management by suggesting processes to improve tracking, anticipation, and response to climate change effects; it assesses approaches to climate variability and change in water resources management, on which future agency policies, methods, and processes will be based.

USBR released Literature Synthesis on Climate Change Implications for Water and Environmental Resources* (January 2011). The scope of this report is to offer a summary of recent literature on the past and projected effects of climate change on hydrology and water resources and then to summarize implications for key resource areas featured in Reclamation planning processes. Development of this report was motivated by discussion at the February 2008 research scoping workshop convened by CCAWWG.                              *Technical Memorandum 86-68210-2010-03

 

> Other Programs, Resources, Products

Water for America Initiative

Reclamation is committed to working with its customers, States, Tribes, and other stakeholders to find ways to balance and provide for the mix of water resource needs in 2009 and beyond. The budget request for 2009 included a Water for America initiative aimed at addressing 21st century water challenges and ensuring water security for future generations. Through the initiative, Reclamation will assess increasing water demands and decreasing availability and will accelerate the implementation of cost-effective actions that will secure water supplies throughout the western United States. This will be accomplished through basin-wide studies; through coordinated water management and cost-effective actions that will conserve water by improving efficiency; and by accelerating the recovery of endangered species. Reclamation's vision is to provide opportunities that can expand water supplies in a sustainable manner. This is a joint initiative with the USGS.

 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)

DOI Secretary Ken Salazar announced DOI will invest $1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in America's water infrastructure that will allow USBR to make significant contributions to the recovery and stabilization of the economy of the United States in a short time period. With an array of projects identified by stakeholders as critical, Reclamation worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify investments that met the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act: namely, that the project addresses the DOI's highest priority mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creates lasting value for the American public. Highest needs include projects that stretch scare water supplies through reuse, recycling and water conservation, promote environmental and ecosystem restoration, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of water and natural resources. The majority of funds allocated to Reclamation will be expended by the end of 2010. Nearly all funds will be spent by the end of 2011.

 

U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)

USGCRP is a Congressionally-authorized consortium of 13 federal agencies, including DOI, responsible for various aspects of global change research, including coordinating climate change research activities of the agencies. It has produced important products related to climate adaptation for wildlife and ecosystems and maintains a comprehensive website with a variety of climate change science resources and publications. Research aims to provide science-based applications and tools for sustainable natural resource management.

 

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Network

The CESU national network has been established with an overarching goal of improving the scientific base for managing federal lands by providing high-quality scientific research, technical assistance, and education to resource and environmental managers. It is a nationwide consortium of federal agencies, universities, conservation organizations, and other partners working together to support agency missions and informed public trust resource stewardship. One objective is to build capacity and enhance coordination of climate change management and adaptation efforts among management agencies.

CESUs are based at host universities and focused on biogeographic regions of the country. To date the nation had been divided into 17 biogeographic regions, each served by a distinct CESU that is structured as a working collaboration among partners. Each regional unit operates independently and in association with one national network and is directed by specific mission, vision, goals and objectives and a strategic plan.

 

 

 

 
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