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Western States Water Council Water Resources Committee Minutes Seattle, Washington July 14, 2005 . of the House Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Water and Power. It was seconded by Jeanine, and passed unanimously. Fifth, Dave Pope referenced a number of letters under Tab C related to funding for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Water Program (CWP) and National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). Three separate letters addressing different program issues were approved after a presentation by USGS Associate Director for Water, Robert (Bob) Hirsch. USGS COOPERATIVE WATER PROGRAM BUDGET/APPROPRIATIONS LANGUAGE Bob Hirsch, Associate Director for Water of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began by announcing that Dr. P. Patrick Leahy, had been nominated by President George W. Bush to be the new USGS Director, replacing Chip Groat. Dr. Leahy is a hydrogeologist by training. Chip left for a Texas university job. Dr. Leahy has begun organizational reorganization efforts, with new field leadership. He is moving toward renaming our offices as say the "USGS Kansas Water Science Center," as opposed to Districts, and rather than District Chiefs, to Directors. He also reported the Alaska Representative Lisa Murkowski, is now chairing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee' s Water and Power Subcommittee. U. S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner . John Keys and the USGS Alaska District Chief testified at a recent hearing on various bills, as well as the need for a general water resources assessment and need for a robust stream gaging network in Alaska. It also addressed ground water and energy. Next, Bob talked about an internal federal group working to integrate science and technology bodies. Bob cochairs a subgroup on water quality and quantity issues. This is a science and not a policy group, designed to consider a strategy for meeting future needs. A draft report should be out in the next few months. I think you will be pleased with the focus on water management needs. He then turned to a discussion of USGS budget and Interior appropriations. "The figures fairly well set on matters of interest to this group." There are identical numbers in House and Senate bills. Compared to a 2.6% decrease in funding between FY 2004 and FY 2005, the numbers are back up, but federal pay raises and other cost increases continue to erode program purchasing power. Tab T included budget figures for the USGS Cooperative Water Program and articles regarding the erodingstreamgage network. It also included cooperator contributions. CWP contributions from western states total about $22 million more than the current USGS match. "If our contribution was raised to meet the state contribution, $22 million would be about a 70% increase in the USGS CWP program budget." However, USGS is under "no illusions that would happen overnight." He referred to an article by Emery Cleaves, Director ofthe Maryland [State] Geological Survey, and said, "Let's begin to march forward to full funding [matching] of the Coop program." Turning to streamgages funded by CWP, Bob noted that this is the single largest project in USGS Water Resources Program. NSIP was authorized in the late 1990s, but has not turned around the budget stall and erosion of streamgages, particularly long-term gages. USGS suggested NSIP as part of a plan to get Congress to provide $8 million in 2001, which allowed us to "plug the wounds." However, NSIP funding . 4