Aquatics Resources Management

The Bureau of Land Management’s Aquatic Resources Program conserves and restores riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources (hereafter referred to as aquatic resources) to provide resource values and ecosystem services necessary to achieve the BLM’s multiple use mandate. The agencies aquatic resources and issues are diverse and include watersheds; riparian-wetland systems; springs, streams, rivers, and groundwater; ponds and lakes; fisheries; water quality; water rights and uses; and aquatic invasive species. These systems also support myriad species of plants, fish, and wildlife; provide ecosystem services such as drinking water, pollination, and nutrient cycling; attenuate wildfires, floods, and drought; and are key to the vitality of local economies and communities. The Program also works to support the thoughtful implementation of other aspects of BLM’s mission (e.g., locatable minerals, fluid minerals, range, forestry recreation, renewable energy), which could either impact aquatic resources or require restoration of such resources to achieve multiple-use and sustained yield management objectives.