by Greg Walcher, E&E Legal Senior Policy Fellow
The Daily Sentinel
My grandpa once gave away a classic Model T. It would be valuable today, but he wasn’t using it and someone else was. In fact, it costs money to keep such things, so he just said, “I didn’t need it anymore.” If only the government were that wise.
We have often discussed the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), an agency that hasn’t had a serious mission for 50 years, one the government clearly doesn’t need anymore. Established in 1902 to build water projects, but languishing because Congress hasn’t funded one in a half-century, BOR nevertheless spends $1.4 billion annually and has 5,373 employees. It owns 7.8 million acres of land, 2,117 buildings, 290 bridges, 3,008 miles of public roads and 1,327 miles of hiking trails, 590 campgrounds, 518 boat ramps, 53 power plants, 338 reservoirs, 489 dams, 53 powerplants and 10,000 miles of canals.
Congress’ original plan was to fund projects by selling public lands, not spending tax dollars. Sellable land was never unlimited, so the mission was never considered permanent. Congress no longer funds major water projects, so BOR’s mission is little more than owning these water and power structures. Aside from giant projects like Lakes Powell and Mead, BOR doesn’t even manage most of its projects; they are mainly contracted to water users and power utilities.
Most projects were financed by the government, with water and power users obligated to repay the taxpayers over the next 40-50 years through service contracts. Most of those repayments were completed decades ago. Users also pay operation and maintenance costs annually, yet taxpayers remain on the hook for BOR’s own budgets. In 2019, Congress finally gave the Interior Department a way out, the discretionary authority to transfer title to such facilities to “qualifying entities” without congressional approval. “Qualifying entities” include state, local and tribal governments, and the water and power users themselves.
