Reclamation History

HISTORICAL RESEARCH: BUREAU OF RECLAMATION 

Reclamation's history program attempts to assist Reclamation and non-Reclamation researchers in efficient completion of research work. The experience of history program staff is provided regarding records, their location, and their uses.

Reclamation's historians regularly attend professional meetings where historians interested in research on Reclamation history gather.

Reclamation encourages research in its history. As a major Federal presence in the the West, Reclamation's history touches on many important aspects of that region's history. As a Federal bureau which develops water resources, Reclamation's activities are important in many arenas that offer scholarly opportunities for study. At the national and regional levels, the Bureau of Reclamation figures importantly in American politics, municipal and industrial development, agricultural history, evolution of agriculture in the West after 1902, public works during the Depression, and economic development of the West. At local levels the issues of water rights, water development, local settlement patterns, and local economic growth are among interesting research topics that can be pursued. In the arid West, Reclamation's history figures importantly in many localities.

In addition, Reclamation's influence internationally is far-reaching. Known as "USBR" around the world, Reclamation has provided technical assistance to dozens of countries and hosted thousands of engineers who have studied Reclamation's technical approaches to engineering problems. Reclamation's publications are internationally known and used.

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