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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />ground water availability studies in the Denver Basin, Great Basin, and California's Central Valley. He <br />also mentioned cooperative work in the Middle Rio Grande, involving different USGS programs. <br /> <br />WSWC Chairman Duane Smith, New Mexico State Engineer, welcomed those attending and addressed <br />briefly the WSWC report on water needs and strategies adopted by western governors. A significant part <br />of the report addresses water availability and the continuing need for more and better information for <br />decisionmakers. New Mexico State Engineer John D' Antonio, a WSWC member, next spoke to the group <br />and described a number of water resources challenges that all require sound science and adequate data for <br />decisionmaking. <br /> <br />All the powerpoint presentations made at the workshop will be made available soon on the Council's <br />website: www.westgov.orglwswc/meetings.html. <br /> <br />Meeting on Montana Water Leasing Program: On October 23, Laura Ziemer, Director of Trout <br />Unlimited's Montana Water Project, presented an overview of Montana's water leasing program to <br />Stream and Lake Protection Section staff and representatives of the Colorado Water Trust, Colorado Farm <br />Bureau. Montana's leasing program allows leasing of consumptive-use water rights (typically <br />agricultural irrigation rights) to improve stream flows. Water right holders can also convert their water <br />rights to in stream flows without entering into a lease by changing the use of their water right to an <br />in stream use under a permit with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation <br />(DNRC). Leases and private conversions can run for up to ten years with the possibility of renewal. <br />Laura discussed many of the successes and shortcomings the program has experienced since 1989 and <br />fielded several questions. <br /> <br />Western States Water Council Holds Meetings: The 1520d Meetings of the Western States Water <br />Council were held October 4-6 in Sheridan, Wyoming. During the meeting, a federaVstate agency round- <br />table discussed the WGNWSWC report, "Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future," and a <br />proposed scope-of-work, together with collaborative opportunities. Representatives from the U.S. Army <br />Corps of Engineers (Corps), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Geological Survey (USGS), and <br />Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) discussed their willingness to help implement the recommendations in <br />the report. <br /> <br />The State of Wyoming hosted a field trip that included a visit to Tie Hack reservoir. After lunch, the tour <br />took a look at different coalbed methane (CBM) production fields and related produced water handling <br />activities that included a subsurface drip irrigation system for alfalfa, an on-site ion treatment and <br />discharge system, and on and off-site storage ponds. <br /> <br />The next meetings of the Council will be held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on May 2-4, 2007. <br /> <br />Statewide <br /> <br />Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCq: On October 18, after a lengthy debate, the [BCC approved <br />the Water Supply Reserve Account Criteria and Guidelines. The [BCC would like to reexamine the <br />relative allocation between the basin accounts and the statewide account in the next few months. CWCS <br />staff also presented an overview of the environmental and recreation technical roundtable. One <br />additional item of note is that the education subcommittee of the [BCC is recommending that the [BCC <br />establish their own independent website rather than having it affiliated with the state. <br /> <br />Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) Technical Roundtable (TRT) Update: The SWSI team <br />has began drafting white papers summarizing the outcomes, conclusions and recommendations of the <br />TRTs. The draft documents wiIJ be circulated for review in the next month. The Gap TRT is still active <br />and a meeting of this group was held on October 27th. The meeting was very productive and a key <br /> <br />11 <br />