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'f(\ \ \ - c.. L-- C. (3, - y September 10, 1993 \..~Y -......., ~. Issue NO.1 008 -t;; x-X ~?r - \ o~) ,- STERN~~f~ iDJf-(LWq- ~.I;\' 1\TES W ATER\ ,~t :::.;,,;~~.~_, r;'-,l,.,.I\ .......... Il' r SLETfER OF TIIE WESTERN STATES WA1ER COUNCIL -' t ~ ~ editor ,... '" <.!l ~ rJ fV\ typist I ' I ~ieje 1"1 rlI "" WATER RESOURCES ~ ~ Drought/General Accounting Office ( The GAO has released a report requ Sled by Rep. John Dingell, Chairman of the House nergy and Commerce Committee, on Federal Effort to Monttor and Coordinate Responses to Drouaht. he report ~ - covers data gathered and used by federal a ncies to -< report drought conditions, as well as past an current :' 0 federal mechanisms to plan. monttor and coo dinate "l' ... the government's response. Briefly, the report otes ~ rIl that collecting and reporting data is a collabor ive, 1 ~ mutti.level effort undertaken primarily by three fed ral agencies: the U.S. Geological Survey; the Natio I :t l;! Weather Service; and the Soil Conservation Servic . .\ () The report states, "Atthough each agency has a r:f! ! unique mission, al/ three agencies have overlapping D ~ data needs and share much of the information or U'\ <:::y collect data on a cooperative basis." TIle report also lPc::!. found, "State and local governments make important I'f) contributions of work and funding to this effort," and that federal, state, and other users are generally satisfied wtth the data on drought. Wtth respect to federal agencies' response activtties, the GAO found, "No permanent federal -4, organization is responsible for monttoring drought ): ~ondttions and planning the government's response to . 4 drought. Instead, individual agencies carry out these ~ ~ ~ aCtivtties and make various arrangements to cooperate ". 1 ~ wtth one another, When drought has been severe or l f"~ has had widespread geographic impacts...temporary ~ federal interagency committees have been set up to r- ~ coordinate the response. However, because drought . -::: ,periodically has had more and more sign~icant -l..i:: ~ j impacts on large areas and segments of the economy, .).. ~ temporary committees may no longer be able to do I :1 J ;S~ the long-term planning needed for such droughts, lah 84047 I (801) 561-5300 I FAX (801) 255-9642 chairman - Dave Kennedy ecutive director - craig Bell promptly resolve policy differences among federal agencies, or coordinate the federal response...." In the past ten years, the report states that major droughts have occurred in Cal~ornia and the West, the Midwest and the South. "A drought occurs in at least part of the Untted States almost continuously...." TIle report adds, "As these recent examples illustrate, major droughts occur periodically in areas across the nation and are likely to occur again, creating impacts that may significantly change the way we live." TIle Western Water Policy Review Commission was created last year to address increasing demands on water in the West and the GAO states that "...the appropriate committees of the Congress may wish to request that the commission consider whether a permanent mechanism is needed to improve the ongoing planning and coordination of the federal response to drought." The commission could also be asked to consider whether such a mechanism should resolve policy differences among federal agencies. The report (GAO/RCED-93-117) can be ordered by calling (202) 512-6000; or using fax number (301) 258-4066. In 1987, Oregon became the first state to enact legiSlation encouraging users to conserve water by allowing water rightholders to use water saved through onservation projects on new lands or to sell or lease he water to other users (ORS 537.455 to 537.485). n July 20, the Oregon legislature enacted changes o streamline the application process and broaden the number of qualifying projects (H.B, 2155-A), The 1987 law provided the legal means for the Oregon ~ater Resources Commission (WRC) to grant users the right to keep a portion of conserved water for their own use, Before 1987, any water saved through conservation asures was available to other users downstream.