WATER: Senate, House panels to examine Reclamation priorities (03/08/2010)

Paul Voosen, E&E reporter

Officials from the Bureau of Reclamation will face scrutiny from the House and Senate on Thursday for a fiscal 2011 budget request that would trim the agency's budget and focus the Interior Department's water efforts on a new program.

The White House is seeking $1.06 billion for Reclamation, down from $1.09 billion in fiscal 2010. The majority of the proposed cuts would come in the bureau's water and related resources account, which would receive $914 million, down from the $951 million provided this year.

The cuts could potentially slow some new water infrastructure projects for the agency, which is the largest water provider and manager throughout much of the West.

Likely to receive scrutiny is a proposed $73 million program called WaterSMART, which is meant to help tackle persistent water shortages in several Western states. The program would encourage new takes on water sustainability by devoting $62 million toward challenge grants, basin studies and reclamation projects.

The overall goal, the Interior said, is to increase available water supply in the West by 350,000 acre-feet by 2012 (E&ENews PM, Feb. 22).

Interior Deputy Secretary David Hayes has said the department is taking a different approach with next year's budget request.

"Reclamation traditionally is a project-by-project sort of funding approach," Hayes said. "What WaterSMART does is look programmatically at some significant information needs and opportunities for conservation across the board. That's I think what's so significant about this. ... It's a real change in direction."

Some high-profile Western water projects were set to see their funding stay level or increase in the 2011 budget. The Central Valley Project would receive $172 million, mostly dedicated to restoration projects; the valley's restoration fund would receive $50 million, up from $35 million last year (E&E Daily, Feb. 2).

The Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee is Thursday morning. The House Water and Power Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee hearing is Thursday afternoon.

Army Corps critiques

The Senate panel appropriators also take their turn scrutinizing the 2011 budget proposal for the Army Corps of Engineers.

The White House's 2011 budget has proposed cutting the corps' spending by 10 percent, from $5.4 billion spent this year to $4.9 billion.

"This is a frugal budget that reflects the priorities of the nation," Jo Ellen Darcy, assistant Army secretary for civil works, told a House panel last week.

The Army Corps, responsible for much of the country's water infrastructure, will likely also receive criticism for its slow implementation of reforms mandated in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act. Those reforms sought to revise how the corps tackles issues such as environmental mitigation, transparency and sustainable project selection criteria.

Senate schedule: The Appropriations subcommittee hearing is Thursday, March 11, at 9 a.m. in 192 Dirksen.

Witnesses: Anne Castle, assistant secretary of the Interior for water and science; Michael Connor, commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; Jo-Ellen Darcy, assistant secretary of the Army; and Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

House schedule: The House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing is Thursday, March 11, at 2 p.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Witnesses: TBA.