WASHINGTON — Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and colleagues from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee urged the U.S. Department of the Interior Acting Inspector General (IG) Caryl Brzymialkiewicz to evaluate the extent to which the Trump Administration’s workforce reductions at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) prevent the agency from fulfilling its statutory mission and implementing relevant programs and activities authorized by Congress.
“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 began.
The BOR is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States – delivering 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 the BOR operate generate 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. In Arizona, BOR plays a critical role in managing Colorado River water that supports agriculture, cities, and tribal communities.
According to reports, the BOR has lost 1,400 employees, around 25 percent of the agency’s workforce in recent weeks.
The senators continued, expressing concern over the lack of strategy and harm to public safety that workforce reductions pose, “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 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 continued.
The senators concluded their letter by requesting that the IG evaluate whether recent workforce reductions at BOR inhibit the Bureau from carrying out its obligations.
Read the full letter HERE.
5/30/25