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. . . Western States Water Council Full Council Minutes Washington, D.C. March 29, 2006 Phil Ward: "Will there be any new areas of emphasis under Secretary Kempthorne?" Mark: "Not that I know of. I haven't talked to him yet. He will take the ball and run with it, in a seamless fashion." I expect he will continue to support the 4Cs, and he will be similarly engaging and personable. He may have new initiatives. In conclusion, Mark said, "I really appreciate talking to you. We need to listen to you. Ifwe work together, we can get a lot done." REPORT FROM THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Steven L. Stockton, Deputy Director for Civil Works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers addressed the Council. Steve is a professional engineer and part ofthe Senior Executive Service (P.E., SES). Steve explained he has worked 27 years in Portland and San Francisco. He also mentioned federal budget constraints to addressing water problems. "Your work plan is impressive." The West is approaching serious water problems. He had just returned from Mexico City and a conference on social and economic stability. We have lost sight of the importance of the past investments we have made in water, which now provide a "stable platform for the rest of our economy to grow." Gross National Product and growth are issues in countries that can't control their hydrograph - droughts and floods. We have lost our vision and purpose in investment. This affects our "ability to sustain what we've got, but make new investments." We need the infrastructure to handle drought and floods, and sustain navigation and ports. The federal government doesn't have the resources to meet all our needs. We need partnerships, and local sponsors. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 was a defining piece oflegislation with its cost sharing philosophy. Cost sharing eliminates egregious projects, and allows us to focus on larger problems. Steve mentioned the Corps Strategic Plan, which is designed to bring our resources to help you solve problems on a watershed scale. The Corps has a large operation and maintenance (O&M) budget, which is now more than 40% ofthe Corps budget. There is some reluctance to invest in new infrastructure, when we struggle to maintain what we've got. Projects my age (or even John Keys' age) begin to show wear and tear. Our water needs keep changing. There is a backlog of authorized projects. Our population is expanding into the Southwest, towards the South and coasts. As the population moves, the needs of the Nation will change. There are more people into high hazard areas, and we need to plan for the future. The American Society of Civil Enginneers (ASCE) review of infrastructure status and their report card has been helpful, while increasing the visibility of chronic infrastructure problems. "We love to come in and rescue people, but don't have the political will to invest in infrastructure to prevent problems before they occur." With proper planning to sustain ourselves, we can avoid many problems. 5