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<br />.003284 <br />" <br /> <br /> <br />United States Department of the Interior <br />OFFICE OF WATER POLICY <br />WASHINGTON, D.C. 202400 <br /> <br />January 1983 <br /> <br />Established in 1981, the Office of Water PoliCy tOWp) analyzes and prepares <br />water policy options for the Secretary of the Interior through the Assistant <br />. Secretary for Land and Water Resources. OWP recommendations are based on <br />the recognition of State primacy over water resources management and the <br />reduction of excessive Federal control over the States. To fulfill this <br />responsibility, OWP: <br /> <br />o Maintains a liaison particularly with the States and also with <br />other organizations -- Federal and non-Federal -- on water <br />resource issues. <br /> <br />o Identifies water resource issues that justify the attention of the <br />Secretary. ' <br /> <br />o Provides analytical support on water policy issues to the Secretary <br />and other officials. <br /> <br />o Coordinates water policy implementation throughout the Department. <br /> <br />It is important to emphasize that OWP: <br /> <br />oIs not a replacement for the Water Resources Council. <br /> <br />o Is not a replacement for the Office of Water Research and Technology. <br /> <br />o Does not make policy but rather analyzes water issues leading to <br />policy recommendations. <br /> <br />o Does not coordinate Fed~ral water policy implementation. <br /> <br />With a staff of 25, OWP operates through two divisions: Policy Analysis and <br />State Liaison. OWP maintains a close working relationship with Departmental <br />bureaus and offices, often receiving assistance from their experts detailed <br />to OWP to supplement and complement analyses by the OWP staff. <br /> <br />A sampling of OWP activities includes: <br /> <br />o Providing recommendations to modify Departmental and bureau manuals, <br />enabling statutes, program rules, procedures, instructions and other' <br />policy directives to reflect the policy of State primacy. <br /> <br />o Designing and coordinating a series of workshops for the States on <br />available Departmental programs and activities to assist States in <br />their responsibilities for water resources management. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />C-22 <br /> <br />" <br />. ; ."' "'~ <br />