Established in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation is best known for the dams, powerplants, and canals it constructed in the 17 western states. Today, reclamation is a contemporary water management agency with a Strategic Plan outlining numerous programs, initiatives and activities that will help the Western States, Native American Tribes and others meet new water needs and balance the multitude of competing uses of water in the West. Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the country and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the western United States. We place great emphasis on fulfilling our water delivery obligations and promoting water conservation, recycling and reuse.

As the largest estuary on the west coast of the United States the San Francisco Bay-Delta is a unique and important territory of the USBR. Through collaboration with institutions such as the San Francisco Bay-Delta Science Consortium, Reclamation seeks to protect the local economy and preserve this natural resource and ecosystem through the effective use of water.