13c

• Board Meeting Date: 7/11/2007
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Subsequent population growth in the nation's fastest growing state has started to crowd
some rural areas, leaving some straining to secure adequate water supplies. In parts of
eastern and northern Arizona, residents have to truck in water. Elsewhere, there are
fears that groundwater pumping could dry up streams and rivers.

The new authority for rural local governments was included in 2006 recommendations
by a statewide water advisory group appointed by Governor Napolitano.

Climate Change Research Needs Meeting: The Western States Water Council,
Western Governors' Association, and the California Department of Water Resources
jointly hosted a workshop on Climate Change Research Needs in Irvine, California on
May 16-18. The discussion focused on adaptive (or living with climate change) rather
than mitigative strategies to avoid warming. Some 70 experts on climate and
paleoclimate, economics, engineering, environmental sciences, geography,
geohydrology, hydrology and hydrometeorology, oceanography, water resources
management and water rights administration participated. Rather than debate the
causes of climate change, most speakers discussed the need to be prepared for
increasing variability with respect to precipitation, snow-pack and snowmelt runoff,
droughts, floods and other severe climatic events. A number of questions were raised in
small groups related to data collection and monitoring needs, models and other
analytical tools, public policy and institutional issues, strategies for improving
communication between academics, water users and decisionmakers, encouraging
more applied research, and partnering with federal agencies.

A summary of the meeting, with recommendations, are to be prepared for the
governors' consideration. Powerpoint presentations are posted online at:
www.westgov. org/wswc/climate%20workshop%20agenda.html.

Veva McCaig and Ted Kowalski attended the meeting.

Most Americans Don't Know Where Their Water Comes From: A June
survey of more than 1,000 Americans conducted by Opinion Research Corporation
showed that only 32% of Americans say they definitely know the natural source of their
drinking water. However, the poll showed a high willingness among Americans to
conserve water in order to ensure a plentiful supply for the future.

Feds Reject Listing Colorado River Cutthroat Trout as Endangered: On
June 14 the u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) rejected efforts to designate the

8