{
  "id": "RL34466",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL34466",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 385531,
      "date": "2011-03-30",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T01:00:14.468020",
      "title": "The Bureau of Reclamation\u2019s Aging Infrastructure",
      "summary": "The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is responsible for the construction of most of the large irrigation and water resources infrastructure in the West. These water resource facilities are dispersed throughout 17 western states and have an original development cost of more than $21 billion. Most of Reclamation\u2019s infrastructure has an average age of over 50 years. This aging infrastructure requires increased maintenance and replacement efforts and expenditures. Reclamation estimates that the total cost for upgrades at all of its facilities exceeds $3 billion.\nReclamation has a documented plan to assess the management needs of its portfolio of aging infrastructure. However, deferred maintenance needs are increasing, and water resource infrastructure management objectives require prioritization due in part to a finite budget. Reclamation\u2019s work on deferred maintenance and replacement is complicated by the fact that it maintains only one-third of the infrastructure that it owns. The remaining two-thirds are owned by Reclamation but have been transferred to local entities (\u201ctransferred works\u201d). This makes for a unique combination of deteriorating infrastructure, patchwork management responsibilities, and limited financing that inevitably leads to conflicts over project priorities. As Reclamation\u2019s portfolio of infrastructure continues to age, these conflicts are likely to arise more often. \nSome have argued for changes to the existing processes that address Reclamation\u2019s aging infrastructure. To date, funds have been authorized and appropriated for a national program that focuses on a certain class of resources (dams). However, outside of this program, no national list of maintenance and upgrade priorities exists, and there are no major programmatic authorities for Reclamation to address these needs without repayment by users (which can make upgrades prohibitive in some cases). Recently, Congress has authorized a loan program to address aging infrastructure and has provided the Secretary of the Interior with the authority to advance federal funds and extend repayment periods for extraordinary maintenance projects. However, as a matter of policy, the Administration has generally refused to request funding for efforts that would primarily benefit nonfederal users. In the future, users are likely to continue to argue for more funding (particularly for transferred works), as well as for reforms to the overall process of documenting and selecting projects for improvements. \nAt issue for Congress is whether to require additional analysis on the status of Reclamation\u2019s infrastructure needs. Additionally, Congress may consider whether Reclamation\u2019s existing planning and funding mechanisms for aging infrastructure are adequate, or whether new or enhanced mechanisms for these maintenance needs are required.\nThis report describes Reclamation\u2019s approach to managing aging infrastructure as well as that of two other agencies\u2014the Army Corps of Engineers and the Natural Resources Conservation Service\u2014involved with significant portfolios of dams and related infrastructure. It includes discussion of several alternative approaches to managing Reclamation\u2019s aging infrastructure that have been enacted or proposed, and thus may be the subject of debate.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807110/",
      "id": "RL34466_2008Nov26",
      "date": "2008-11-26",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Bureau of Reclamation\u2019s Aging Infrastructure",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817326/",
      "id": "RL34466_2008Apr30",
      "date": "2008-04-30",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The Bureau of Reclamation\u2019s Aging Infrastructure",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
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  "topics": [
    "Agricultural Policy",
    "Energy Policy"
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}