Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation

The commissioner is responsible for 5,344 employees and a $1.073 billion budget.⁵ In immediate communication with the commissioner is the chief of staff and three deputy commissioners Two others report directly to the commissioner: the director of information services and the civil rights division of the bureau.⁶

• Manages, develops and protects water and resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public
• Plans and directs the management, engineering and scientific requirements needed to achieve comprehensive solutions to water and related resources issues and problems
• Cooperates with states, local governments and other federal agencies throughout the 17 contiguous Western states of Hawaii, U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and nationwide by enabling legislation or delegation
• Develops policies which set the overall goals and objectives for the reclamation’s program and ensures those goals are consistent with the administration’s priorities
• Serves as a liaison with bureaus and offices, other executive branch agencies, the Office of Management and Budget, Congress and constituent groups
• Directs all program and policy matters of reclamation⁷

[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]