Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said that while the National Park Service has the bulk of unfilled maintenance items, that there are also billions of dollars of projects that have not been funded in the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“These four agencies face a combined deferred maintenance backlog totaling $19.4 billion, an overwhelming amount that covers everything from direct visitor experiences to projects that will never be noticed by the average family,” said Murkowski, the chairman of the committee.

Projects like the ailing water system at Grand Canyon National Park, which Archuleta said is more than a decade past its original predicted life expectancy.

“The priority for the maintenance at this particular time is the water pipeline” that is the primary source of drinking water in the park, Archuleta said after the hearing.

She said pipes regularly break from rockfalls, leaving the park to haul in water and institute water restrictions. Visitors have a poorer experience if restroom and dining facilities are limited because there is not a reliable source of water, Archuleta said.