Stories & Media


  • Colorado River

    The Colorado River - People, Partnerships, and Investments

    The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American Southwest. The Bureau of Reclamation has taken actions to secure the basin now and into the future. Reclamation invested over $5 billion for more than 200 projects in the Colorado River Basin. In the lower basin, 25 conservation agreements have been signed that conserved 2.28 million acre-feet of the 3 million-acre-feet committed by the lower basin states. Lake Mead is up 20 feet from two years ago. First steps in signing long-term conservation agreements are underway with a $107 million investment into three Gila River Indian community projects, conserving 73,000 acre-feet of water. In the upper basin, $44.3 million in 174 drought projects has been invested to conserve water. These efforts and improved hydrology have increased Lake Powell by 50-feet since 2021. Long-term conservation agreements are in the works and will be announced soon.

  • Colorado River

    Reclamation Celebrates Almost $1 Billion in Conservation Efforts in the Colorado River Basin with Tribal Partners

    Dec. 4, 2024 – The Bureau of Reclamation today hosted a signing ceremony celebration with the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Quechan Indian Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, and White Mountain Apache Tribe to celebrate new initiatives with a total investment of over $43.7 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and annual appropriations. These new agreements aimed at providing a more sustainable and reliable water use in the Basin and build on progress already underway on water conservation agreements totaling $888 million. Read More →

  • Colorado River

    Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $850 Million to Revitalize Aging Water Infrastructure, Advance Drought Resilience

    An image of water being released through outlet works at Shasta Dam.Dec. 3, 2024 – The Department of the Interior today announced a $849 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to revitalize aging water delivery systems across the West. The funding supports 77 projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Washington to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydropower generation, and provide water treatment. This includes 14 projects totaling $118.3 million in the Colorado River Basin. Read More →

  • Investing in America

    Biden-Harris Administration announces $50 million for drought mitigation in the Great Salt Lake Basin

    Dec. 2, 2024 – Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton was at the Great Salt Lake to announce an investment of $50 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for a water delivery program aimed at helping to ensure an ongoing, resilient water supply in the Basin. The state of Utah is leveraging over $50 million to complement Reclamation’s investment, making this a $100 million investment in the Great Salt Lake. Read More →

  • Employees

    Reclamation’s Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo Earns Prestigious 2024 Presidential Rank Award

    Nov. 26, 2024 – The Bureau of Reclamation proudly announces that Deputy Commissioner David M. Palumbo has received the 2024 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service. Established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, this prestigious honor is awarded to a select group of career civil servants to recognize those with a record of scientific, technical or professional achievement. Only one percent of the career Senior Executive Service, Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional corps are selected for the Distinguished Rank Award. Read More →

  • Colorado River

    Biden-Harris Administration Puts Colorado River on Path to Success

    Nov. 21, 2024 – Since Day One of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has led critical discussions over how to bring the Colorado River back from the brink of crisis in the face of a 24-year drought. Having achieved overwhelming success in 2023 on interim operation plans to guide operations through 2026 with a historic consensus agreement, and following more than a year of collaboration with the states and Tribes who call the Colorado River Basin home, the Biden-Harris administration today released the next step in a responsible path to guide post-2026 operations for the Colorado River.   Read More →

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Recreation & Public Use

Reclamation Recreation Map Reclamation Land Use

The public may apply to use Reclamation land, facilities, and waterbodies, and may engage in the use only after proper authorization is received from Reclamation. Use authorizations are not required for permitted public recreational use of recreation areas and facilities open to the public. Read More →


Reclamation Recreation Map Reclamation Recreation Website

Reclamation projects have created a variety of recreation opportunities on the rivers downstream from the dams, including world class whitewater rafting and fishing opportunities. Read More →


Recreation.gov screen shot. Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov helps you discover and book trips at Reclamation facilities and at all of America's public places. Read More →


Reclamation Information Sharing Environment

RISE is an open data system for viewing, accessing, and downloading Reclamation's water and water-related data. Visit the RISE website.


Statement of Project Construction Cost and Repayment Statements Are Available from Reclamation

Reclamation has been accumulating construction cost and repayment data since the first reimbursable project began and created the Statement of Project Construction Cost and Repayment (SPCCR) to capture cost and repayment data by project, for internal use only. However, these are now available by request. Read More →



Last Update 12/6/24