Bureau of Reclamation

The Bureau of Reclamation, established in 1902 within the Department of the Interior, is the largest wholesaler of water in the United States and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power, serving the 17 western states. It manages 492 dams and 338 reservoirs and operates 53 hydroelectric powerplants, delivering water to more than 31 million people and irrigation water for about 10 million acres of farmland. Its federal civilian maintenance workforce keeps dams, powerplants, pumping plants, and canal systems operating at project sites across the West.