The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2023. The President’s Budget details his vision to expand on the historic progress our country has made over the last year and deliver the agenda he laid out in his State of the Union address—to build a better America, reduce the deficit, reduce costs for families, and grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out.
President Biden proposed a $1.4 billion Fiscal Year 2023 Budget for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. The budget builds on recent accomplishments and supports the Administration’s goals of ensuring reliable and environmentally responsible delivery of water and power for farms, families, communities and industry, while providing tools to confront widening imbalances between water and power supply and demand throughout the West.
“The American West is facing growing challenges to water and power availability and ecosystems due to climate change, aging water delivery systems and competing demands that are outstripping supply,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo. “President Biden’s FY 2023 budget will enable Reclamation to address these challenges by developing long-term measures that build more resilient communities, protect the natural environment and modernize aging infrastructure.”
“Reclamation manages water and power, but we serve people,” said Acting Commissioner David Palumbo. “President Biden’s FY 2023 Budget continues his administration’s support for the people of the American West, ensuring that Tribes, farmers, ranchers, communities and businesses have the clean, affordable and reliable water and power that nurtures their lives and livelihood and protects the environment, ecosystems, and the species on which we all rely.”
The Budget makes critical investments in the American people that will help lay a stronger foundation for shared growth and prosperity for generations to come. The proposed FY 2023 budget includes $1.3 billion for Reclamation’s principal operating account (Water and Related Resources), which funds planning, construction, water conservation, management of Reclamation, efforts to address fish and wildlife habitat needs, and operation, maintenance and rehabilitation activities—including dam safety—at Reclamation facilities. The budget also includes funding requests of $33 million to implement the California Bay-Delta Program to address California’s current water supply and ecological challenges, and $45.8 million for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund to protect, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and associated habitats in California’s Central Valley and Trinity River Basins.
The FY 2023 Budget request complements the funding Reclamation has received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58), which authorized and appropriated $8.3 billion into Water and Related Resources in $1.66 billion annual installments from FY 2022 – FY 2026. Section 70101 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also appropriated $2.5 billion to support the Secretary of the Interior’s efforts to implement existing authorized Indian Water Rights Settlements through the Indian Water Rights Settlements Completion Fund.
Reclamation’s budget supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s conservation and climate resilience priorities through funding for programs in the Colorado River Basin to continue to implement the drought contingency plans, implement long-term, comprehensive water supply solutions for farmers, families, and communities in California, and continued funding for programs such as WaterSMART that allow Reclamation to work in close collaboration with non-federal partners to address emerging water demands and water shortage issues in the West.
Reclamation’s request continues to support racial and economic equity through commitments to underserved communities and tribal areas. For example, the budget includes $63.3 million to advance construction and continue operations and maintenance of authorized rural water projects to supplement the historic funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill for those projects and increases funding to support a $20 million Native American Affairs Program, which provides technical support and assistance to tribal governments to develop and manage their water resources.
Recognizing the importance of maintaining our aging infrastructure and in furtherance of the opportunities and commitments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the FY 2023 budget includes $210.2 million for the Dam Safety Program to address continued critical infrastructure needs and effectively manage risks to the downstream public, and $99.7 million for extraordinary maintenance activities across Reclamation—part of a strategy to improve asset management and deal with aging infrastructure to ensure continued reliable delivery of water and power.
Reclamation’s FY 2023 request includes $5.0 million in Power and Program Services to advance the Administration’s clean energy and climate change goals by increasing Reclamation’s hydropower capabilities and value. This funding will also support Reclamation efforts to develop and implement mitigation strategies for supply chain risks to hydropower and asset management efforts.
In addition to taking proactive measures to address the drought, Reclamation has requested funding to continue to work with partners to address the continued threats of and responses to wildfire. Over $7 million is included in the budget request to maintain, develop and update fire suppression contracts while continuing to support a coordinated approach to wildland fire response efforts.
Other highlights of Reclamation’s FY 2023 budget proposal include:
- $50.3 million for the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (WA) to continue the construction of the Cle Elum Fish Passage, development of irrigation district implementation grants, construction of the Toppenish Creek Corridor, and the Wapato Irrigation Project conservation improvements.
- $34.8 million for the Klamath Project (OR, CA), including funds for studies and initiatives related to improving water supplies and addressing competing demands for agricultural, tribal, wildlife and environmental needs.
- $27.4 million for the Site Security Program which includes physical security upgrades at key facilities, guards and patrols, anti-terrorism program activities and security risk assessments.
For more information on the President’s FY 2023 Budget, please visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/. Additional details about Reclamation’s budget request are available at www.usbr.gov/budget.
Original source can be found here.
