PUB00146 ‎(2)‎

• Year: 2005
• Title: Western States Water Council - San Antonio, TX., October 18-21, 2005
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Description: Western States Water Council - San Antonio, TX., October 18-21, 2005
• Publications - Doc Type: Water Policy

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Western States Water Council
Executive Committee Minutes

Seattle, Washington
July 14, 2005

WESTERN GOVERNORS' ASSOCIATION WORK PLAN ITEMS

A. Priorities of the New Chair (Governor Napolitano of Arizona)

Herb Guenther reported that Arizona's Governor Janet Napolitano was recently elected as the
new Chair of the Western Governors' Association. She has proposed to focus on the creation of a
sustainable Western state economy as we head into the 21st century. The specific focus will be on five
issues: (1) economic strength; (2) making talent the West's competitive advantage; (3) revitalizing
downtowns, re-developing suburbs, and building a sense of place at the urban edge, reducing fiscal and
environmental impacts of development, and using our water and energy resources in a more
responsible manner to help the West grow in a sustainable and prosperous way; (4) continuing to build
physical infrastructure; and (5) investing for success - Western states will have to utilize their existing
funds in very focused and efficient ways.

Herb further noted that large water projects are extremely expensive and fraught with all kinds
of problems such as rights-of-way and interbasin transfers and things of that nature. Governor
Napolitano would like to start looking at a different horizon. We spend a lot of time fighting over
water resources. I know all of the states here have had their battles. We are fighting over a limited
resource and since there is not enough water, we are fighting over the same supply and somebody loses
and somebody wins. Rather than looking at this kind of scenario, Governor Napolitano would like to
look at a win-win situation. She would like to spend more energy on looking at ways of augmentation
of supply rather than fighting over the limited supply.

Hal asked Shaun McGrath of WGA how the Governor may be able to address some of her
concerns within the WGA meeting format. He noted that Governor Richardson's priority was energy,
and he announced an energy summit, where we brought in experts from around the country fOf a two
day meeting. They came out with a number of recommendations. From that came a resolution that the
governors adopted which has begun to be implemented. Governor Owens held a summit on the
Endangered Species Act. Governof Napolitano could potentially announce a summit on water or some
related issues. Craig, Hal, and I were at the recent WGA Annual Meeting and heard Governor
Napolitano speak. She mentioned water as part of her five key points in her chairmanship. We
thought this may provide the Western States Water Council an opportunity to help drive that agenda.
Shaun followed up with Lori Faeth, who is the WGA Staff Council member in the Governor's office.
She is very intefested in having the WSWC look into this. Shaun suggested that the Executive
Committee decide whether there are some issues under these broad themes that would allow the
WSWC to "bump up" some of these issues to the Governors' level. There has not been a plenary
session or a summit on water in the ten years that Shaun has been with the WGA. Perhaps it is time to
have the governors talk about the water issues that Council members deal with on a daily basis.

Weir Labatt mentioned faising the streamgaging issue and trying to get some support from the
governors on this topic. This seems like a particularly important issue in which to try to obtain WGA
support.

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