author
United States. Bureau of Reclamation
Built around one of the biggest water-management stories in the American West, this federal agency has shaped irrigation, power, and river systems for more than a century. Its work sits at the crossroads of engineering, public policy, and the everyday realities of life in 17 western states.
1 Audiobook
Glen Canyon Dam
by United States. Bureau of Reclamation
About the author
Established in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation is a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior. It was created during a period of intense western expansion and became best known for building major dams, canals, and powerplants that supported irrigation, settlement, and economic growth across the western United States.
Over time, its role broadened beyond construction. Reclamation says its mission is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound way for the public. Today, it is closely associated with the operation of large water-storage and delivery systems, hydroelectric facilities, and long-term water management in the 17 western states.
For listeners interested in American infrastructure, environmental history, or the politics of the West, the Bureau of Reclamation offers a revealing lens. Its history touches farming, cities, tribal and interstate water issues, conservation, and the continuing challenge of balancing human demand with limited water supplies.