About Us - Fact Sheet

Contact: Public Affairs

The Bureau of Reclamation:

Manages, develops, and protects water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier, operating 294 reservoirs with a total storage capacity of 140 million acre-feet (an acre-foot, 325,851 gallons of water, supplies enough water for a family of four for one year).

Provides 1 out of 5 (or, 140,000) Western farmers with irrigation water for 10 million farmland acres that produce 60 percent of the nation's vegetables and one quarter of its fresh fruit and nut crops.

Is the second largest producer of hydropower in the United States and operates 53 hydroelectric powerplants that annually produced, on average, 40 billion kilowatt-hours for the last 10 years.

Delivers 10 trillion gallons of water to millions of people each year.

Manages, with partners, 249 recreation sites that have 90 million visits annually.

Reclamation’s management and recreation activities contribute $34.1 billion in value added to economic output, and support about 450,700 jobs.

The Bureau of Reclamation priorities are to:

Ensure the continued delivery of water and power benefits in conformity with contracts, statutes, and agreements.

Operate and maintain projects in a safe and reliable manner, protecting the health and safety of the public and Reclamation employees and improve financial accountability and transparency to our contractors.

Honor State water rights, interstate compacts, contracts with Reclamation users, further the Secretary of the Interior's Indian Trust responsibilities, and comply with all environmental statutes.

Plan for the future using programs that focus Reclamation's financial and technical resources on areas in the West where conflict over water either currently exists or is likely to occur in the coming years.

Enhance the business operations of Reclamation in accord with the Managing for Excellence initiative.

The Bureau of Reclamation is:

Developing strategies to manage and deliver water more efficiently and effectively to our customers in order to help satisfy the many needs of irrigation, municipalities, power and the environment and serving as a technical resource for water users and planners.

Working in partnership with states, Tribes, water and power customers, and others to seek creative and collaborative solutions to Western water issues.

Ensuring our dams do not create unacceptable risk to the public by monitoring, evaluating, and when appropriate, performing risk reduction modifications.

Additional Quick Facts:

Number
Unit
Description
TOPIC: Agriculture
10 Million  Acres Number of acres of farmland irrigated by Reclamation water
1:5 Farmers Ratio of western farmers served by Reclamation water
140,000 Farmers Number of farmers receive water from Reclamation
25 Percent Fruit and Nut Crop Percent of the nation's fruit and nut crop produced using Reclamation water
60 Percent Vegetables Percent of the nation's vegetables produced using Reclamation water
TOPIC: Budget
1.073 Billion  Dollars Total annual budget for Reclamation
TOPIC: Buildings
2,117 Buildings Number of buildingsowned by Reclamation
85 Family Housing Units Number of employee and family housing units maintained by Reclamation
TOPIC: Dams/Reservoirs/Other Water Control Structures
140 Million  Acre-feet Total Water Storage Capacity (million acre-feet) of Reclamation dams/reservoirs
294  Reservoirs Reservoirs impounded by Reclamation dams
490 Dams Number of dams maintained by Reclamation
10,000 Miles Miles (approximate) of irrigation canals owned by Reclamation
TOPIC: Economic Data
34.1 Billion Dollars Value Added to Total Economic Output
450,700 Jobs Domestic Jobs Supported
TOPIC: Employees
5,550 Employees (As of 12/11/23) Number of Reclamation employees
TOPIC: Energy and Power
15 Percent Hydropower Percent of Nation's hydropower produced by Bureau of Reclamation facilities
40 Billion  Kilowatt hours Number of kilowatt hours of energy produced by Reclamation
53 Hydroelectric Power Plants Number of Reclamation Hydroelectric Power Plants Owned and Operated
24 Hydroelectric Power Plants Number of Transferred Hydroelectric Power Plants
TOPIC: Land
7.8 Million  Acres Number of acres of Reclamation land and easements
6.1 Million  Acres Number of acres of Reclamation land
1.7 Million  Acres Number of acres of Reclamation easements
TOPIC: Real Property Assets
1,319 Structures Number of structures owned by Reclamation
290 Bridges Number of Reclamation public bridges
3,008 Miles Miles of Reclamation public roads
TOPIC: Recreation
90 Million  Visits Number of visits to Reclamation recreation areas
590 Campgrounds Number of campgrounds at Reclamation recreation areas
518 Boat Ramps Boat ramps open to public
1,327 Miles Hiking trails owed by Reclamation
249 Areas Number of recreation areas managed with partners
TOPIC: Revenues and Receipts
1,106.3 Million  Dollars Total revenue collected by Reclamation
TOPIC: Rivers and Streams
40 Million  People Number of people who rely on the Colorado River water supply
TOPIC: States
17 States Number of Western States served by Reclamation
TOPIC: Water
10 Trillion gallons Number of gallons of water produced by Reclamation for municipal, residential and industrial use
31 Million  People Number of people served by Reclamation Municipal, Residential and Industrial water Delivery
Last Updated: 1/19/24