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. . . Western States Water Council Full Council Minutes Boise, Idaho April 22, 2005 it. Water is a source of friction for the urban-rural interface, and there is a rural-urban shift in the legislature. Karl asked about the new appropriations. Roland explained the new applications. The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNW A) has looked closer to home to find water. SNW A sees the Colorado River and Arizona water bank as interim solution, while it seeks to develop Nevada resources. New Mexico Bill Hume said they have had a historic snowfall and there is 7,000 cfs in the Rio Grande. They have undertaken a study of the natural hydrograph and implications for the endangered silvery minnow. The Aamodt Indian Water Rights Settlement, with a $210 million federal cost, is deemed too high by some, who are seeking to cut the price in half for court approval. However, the U.S. Department of Justice estimate of their legal limit of exposure is only $11 million. The Navajo Nation last week signed on the $800 million San Juan Settlement, and even Senator Domenici (R-NM) says its too high. The Taos Pueblo is close to a settlement, which is also expensive. He added that New Mexico is struggling with the regulation of domestic wells. The cumulative depletions in some areas are very high, but proposed legislation to establish state controls was killed by developers. We may have to try something administratively, or seek the right facts for a lawsuit. The legislature appropriated $5 million this year for a water resources supply alternatives study, and $1.7 million for adjudications next year. We face a legal challenge to our water management rules, alleging a lack of authority to regulate rights in basins not yet adjudicated. Oklahoma Dean Couch reported Oklahoma has a Republican House for the first time in over 80 years, with a Democratic Governor. There are severance tax and revenues issues, but the state has a surplus. Stream and ground water interactions are both addressed separately under state law, and we face issues of protecting springs and river flows. The governor's budget includes more money for new water and wastewater financing (including SRFs), which has provided over $1 billion (with an initial $25 million appropriation in the mid-1980s by the state). Oklahoma is hoping to use the USDA'S CREP program and is looking for state matching money, with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) as the banker. The Pawnee Tribe has requested "Treatment as States" (TAS) status on approved trust lands, but not allotted lands. The state has concerns over checkerboarding of water quality standards and is working with EPA (and a new WSWC subcommittee) to deal with such Clean Water Act Section 518 issues. II