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Managing Construction AND Infrastructure
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The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has a long history of ac- complishments, and through this study and other efforts is preparing to continue its successful record of providing water and hydroelectric power in the western United States. Successful accomplishment of Reclamation’s current mission in the twenty-first century—to manage, develop, and pro- tect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public—is impacted, and in some cases dominated, by several new realities that are discussed in this report, including environmental factors, American Indian water rights, rural water needs, urbanization, increasing budget constraints, a broader set of stakeholders, an aging workforce, and an aging infrastructure.
The committee was not asked to assess the robustness of Reclamation in the face of extraordinary events, but the recent disasters caused by the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region have brought that question to the at- tention of the committee. In the short term, the dispersed geography, de- centralized line organization, and centralized service center of Reclama- tion should allow it to respond to localized events effectively. Over the long term, the bureau has exhibited its ability to deal with disasters, as shown in its response to the failure of Teton Dam in 1976. That event led to the creation of a robust safety of dams program, risk analysis and de- sign review procedures, and an active effort to learn from past experi- ence. The committee also observed active efforts to plan responses to de- veloping problems caused by persistent drought conditions in the West. If faced with unexpected catastrophic events, Reclamation can be ex- pected, in the committee’s opinion, to rise to the challenge
National Academy of Sciences - Personal Name
1st Edtion
0-309-65430-0
NONE
Managing Construction AND Infrastructure
Management
English
National Academy of Sciences.
2006
United States of America
1-155
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