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Summary

For more than a century, the federal government has constructed water resource projects for a variety of purposes, including flood control, navigation, power generation, and irrigation. While most municipal and industrial water supplies have been built by non-federal entities, most of the large, federal water supply projects in the West, including Hoover and Grand Coulee dams, were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) to provide water for irrigation. Growing populations and changing values have increased demands on water supplies and river systems, resulting in water use and management conflicts throughout the country, particularly in the West, where the population is expected to increase 30% in the next 20-25 years. In many western states, agricultural needs are often in direct conflict with urban needs, as well as with water demand for threatened and endangered species, recreation, and scenic enjoyment. Debate over western water resources revolves around the issue of how best to plan for and manage the use of this renewable, yet sometimes scarce and increasingly sought after, resource. Some observers advocate enhancing water supplies, for example, by building new storage or diversion projects, expanding old ones, or funding water reclamation and reuse facilities. Others emphasize the need to manage existing supplies more efficiently -- through conservation, revision of policies that encourage inefficient use of water, and establishment of market mechanisms to allocate water. The 107th Congress considered a number of bills on western water issues, including several title transfer and wastewater reclamation and reuse bills. One of the most legislatively active areas involved attempted reauthorization of CALFED -- a joint federal and state program to restore fish and wildlife habitat and address California water supply/ quality issues. Another hotly debated issue involved management of the Klamath River Project (OR and CA) and impacts on farmers, fish, and other interests in the Klamath River Basin. The 108th Congress is considering a number of the same issues; however, new developments involving California's allocation of Colorado River water will likely spur additional oversight of related issues, such as progress in restoring the Salton Sea. Action is also expected on CALFED. The federal portion of the CALFED program has not been authorized since FY2000 and thus federal participation has been limited. Several other oversight issues may be addressed, including oversight of, or changes to, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, management of the Columbia, Snake, Klamath, and Colorado River Systems, implementation of other legislation such as the Dakota Water Resources Act, and more broadly, federal water policy and coordination. The 108th Congress is also likely to consider one or more Indian water rights settlement bills; however, these bills will not be tracked in this issue brief.

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