The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says it plans to purchase 54,000 rounds of ammunition in a move that’s now raising eyebrows after at least one other federal government entity was recently accused of mysteriously stockpiling massive amounts of ammunition.
The Las Vegas Sun reported that the bureau, tasked with managing and developing the country’s water resources, is planning to buy the ammunition for law enforcement use at Hoover Dam and Lake Mead in Nevada.
Agency spokeswoman Rose Davis is staying tight-lipped about the reason for the purchase.
A box of .45 cal. ammunition is offered for sale at Freddie Bear Sports on October 18, 2012 in Tinley Park, Illinois. (Credit: Getty Images)
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“We want to limit the amount of information any bad guys might have about our protection capabilities,” she told the Sun, declining to provide any further comment.
As recently as last month, the bureau made bids for 41,600 rounds of hollow-point ammunition in addition to 10,400 rounds of shotgun ammunition. It would not say how many armed officers it employs or specify the number or magnitude of security threats it faces each year.
Davis said the ammunition is being purchased with money paid by utility companies for electricity from the Hoover Dam, rather than with taxpayer dollars. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheBlaze.
The Bureau of Reclamation was established in 1902 and is best known for overseeing the construction of dams, power plants and canals in 17 states. Hoover Dam sees more tourists every year than Yellowstone National Park, according to the Sun.
In 2013, the Department of Homeland Security admitted to planning to purchase as many as 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition over five years because doing so was cheaper. The Government Accountability Office launched an investigation following the acknowledgement and some Republican lawmakers tried to limit how much ammunition federal agencies could purchase.
However, the bill introduced in Congress in April 2013 never became law, according to GovTrack.