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<br />As the Nation's principal conservation agency. the Department of the <br />Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public <br />lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of <br />our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preser- <br />ving the environmental and cu!tural values of ~Ui natiorlctl parks and <br />historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through out- <br />door recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral <br />resources and works to assure that their development is in the best <br />interests of all our people. The Department also has a major respon- <br />sibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people <br />who live in Island Territories under U.S. Administration. <br /> <br />Mission of the Bureau of Reclamation <br /> <br />The Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior is <br />responsible for the development and conservation of the Nation's <br />water resources in the Western United States. <br /> <br />The Bureau's original purpose "to provide for the reclamation of arid <br />and semiarid lands in the West" today covers a wide range of interre- <br />lated functions. These include providing municipal and industrial water <br />supplies; hydroelectric power generation; irrigation water for agri- <br />culture; water quality improvement; flood control; river navigation; <br />river regulation and control; fish and wildlife enhancement; outdoor <br />recreation; and research on water-related design, construction, mate- <br />rials, atmospheric management, and wind and solar power. <br /> <br />Bureau programs most frequently are the result of close cooperation <br />with the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, States, local govern- <br />ments, academic institutions, water-lIser organizations, and other <br />concerned groups. <br />