25% staff reduction at Bureau of Reclamation threatens dam safety, water delivery
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined seven of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to call on Department of the Interior (DOI) Acting Inspector General (IG) Caryl Brzymialkiewicz to evaluate the impact of the Trump administration’s layoffs at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) on key BOR programs, including delivering water and reliable electricity to millions of Americans.
“Recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity,” the senators wrote.
The BOR is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States and delivers trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The BOR also is the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities operated by BOR generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year.
The BOR has reportedly lost around 25% of the agency’s work force – approximately 1,400 public servants – since the Trump administration began illegally firing federal workers.
The senators continued: “BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the Administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.”
The senators requested the IG evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.
The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Acting Inspector General Brzymialkiewicz:
We write to request that your office evaluate the extent to which workforce reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation (“Bureau” or “BOR”) prevent the agency from fulfilling its statutory mission and implementing relevant programs and activities authorized by Congress. The Bureau is the largest wholesaler of water in the United States—delivering trillions of gallons of water to more than 31 million people. The Bureau is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the country. The facilities BOR operate generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. However, recent reductions in workforce significantly threaten BOR’s ability to safely and reliably deliver water to communities and farmers, keep waterways flowing for fish and wildlife across the western United States, and produce reliable electricity.
According to reports, BOR has lost 1,400 public servants since the administration began its assault on the federal workforce. The positions reportedly eliminated include mechanics, engineers, and fish biology specialists—personnel with considerable expertise. Through firings of probational workers, buyouts, early retirements, and other related actions, BOR has shrunk by 25 percent. This workforce reduction has lacked a coherent, mission- and safety- driven strategy and instead led to the departure of experienced personnel—some with over 20 years of experience—leaving the Bureau susceptible to operational disruptions.
Rapid reductions to BOR’s workforce raise significant concerns about the Bureau’s ability to meet its core responsibilities, particularly inspecting dams and identifying threats to public safety. BOR manages over 450 dams throughout 17 western states. Previously, BOR’s dam safety program identified over 300 high and significant hazard dams at more than 200 facilities. The age and complex nature of dam systems necessitates having experienced staff trained in the operation of such systems. In fact, as your office identified in a September 2023 report, approximately 90 percent of BOR’s dams are more than 50 years old and “[a]ging dams increase the risk of dam failures.” BOR needs experienced personnel with the necessary expertise to manage critical infrastructure. We are concerned that the administration’s actions to gut the agency of qualified public servants could leave critical water infrastructure and communities vulnerable to operational disruptions.
Your office is responsible for promoting “accountability, integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within” the DOI and identifying “ways to improve the DOI’s programs and operations by offering specific, actionable recommendations that lead to positive change.” We therefore urge you to evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
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